Crash into Me
by Fender18
Summary: A.U. story about what happens when Spencer Hastings falls for Emily Fields, the sexy, young architect who is hired to work on a project for the Hastings' family. More detailed summary in chapter one. Read & review. Disclaimer: I don't own Pretty Little Liars. P.S. Alison is alive in this one. Give it a shot.
1. Chapter 1

Okay everyone, as per a suggestion from a reader of another one of my stories, I've decided to give their idea a shot. This chapter is sort of a pilot. If there's enough interest I'll continue it, so we'll see how it goes. Let me know what you think and if this is worth continuing or not. Thanks! P.S. Secret Truths will still be at the top of my priority list. I'm nowhere near finished with it. This one will be quite different than my other stories. Emily will be much more masculine and Spencer much more feminine.

-Fender18

Summary:

Between parents who rarely notice her, an overbearing sister whom she can barely tolerate and confusion over her own sexuality, Spencer Hastings often finds herself lonely and craving attention. What happens when Spencer falls for a sexy young architect named Emily Fields, a damaged soul with a heart of gold who is hired to work on a project for the Hastings family? Will Spencer and Emily find the love that they've both been seeking in each other, a place they least expected?

* * *

One evening in late August, Spencer Hastings walked down the stairs into her living room where she found her parents sitting at the kitchen island, drinking coffee and discussing plans for the upcoming remodel of their house.

"Hey, Spence." Mr. Hastings said. "You ready for your first day of your senior year tomorrow?"

"As ready as I'm going to get."

"Did you finish all of your summer assignments?"

"Please, dad. I finished everything a month ago."

"That's my girl." Mr. Hastings smiled. "Since you've got time, come over here, your mother and I could use your opinion."

"What do you need my opinion on?" Spencer asked as she walked over to the kitchen counter and poured herself a cup of coffee.

"We're going over the plans for our kitchen remodel. The architect needs to know what material to order for our counter tops."

Spencer picked up her coffee cup and walked over to the kitchen island, looking over her father's shoulder at multiple counter top samples.

"We've narrowed it down to three…" Mrs. Hastings said. "I like these two granite samples. The blue pearl and the galaxy black." She pointed to a pair of side by side sample squares. "But your father likes this black and white Italian marble."

"I like all three of them…but I think I'd go with the marble. It's pretty classic." Spencer said, raising her coffee mug to her lips. "I don't even know why you need to remodel the kitchen anyway, I think it's fine the way it is."  
"I just think it's time for a change." Peter said.

"You're a terrible liar." Spencer countered. "The neighbors just redid their kitchen, so naturally you have to try to one up them by redoing our kitchen and putting an addition onto the house."

"The addition is necessary." Peter replied. "With your sister moving back home with her fiancé, we could really use the extra space."

The Hastings' hadn't stopped bragging since Melissa became engaged. Her fiancé, Wren, was everything that Veronica and Peter Hastings had wanted for their daughter. He was a handsome, young British medical student, who had just been accepted into a residency program at the Rosewood community hospital. Spencer rather liked Wren, he had always been nothing but kind to her. She often wondered what such a seemingly nice guy could ever possibly see in her stuck-up, condescending older sister.

"I don't understand why Melissa needs to move back here. Why can't she get her own house?" Spencer complained.

"You're eighteen years old now, Spencer. When is this feud between you and your sister going to end?" Veronica asked.

"When Melissa stops being a bitch." Spencer stated, matter-of-factly. "But I don't see that happening any time soon."

"We figured you wouldn't exactly be thrilled about your sister moving back home." Peter said. "That's why your mother and I have decided that it would be best for everyone if Melissa and Wren move into the barn."

"What! You promised me the barn! You said that if I did the summer internship with the mayor, took all AP summer classes at U Penn and kept straight A's, I could move into the barn for senior year. I did all of the designing and decorating, I worked all summer on the barn. Why should Melissa get to move in? It's not fair."

"Spencer, I know you're upset, but Melissa brought up some good points." Veronica said. "She and Wren need their own space."

"We had a deal. This is bull. You guys always give Melissa what ever she wants. You know you have two daughters, don't you?"

"Spencer…" Veronica said.

"Just forget it. Once again you take Melissa's side. You always have and you always will." Spencer said as she stormed off, back up the stairs to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

The next day at school, Spencer joined her three best friends, Alison DiLaurentis, Aria Montgomery and Hanna Marin in the cafeteria at lunchtime.

"How lucky were we to all get the same lunch period?" Hanna asked.

"Yeah, lucky." Alison said. "We've only had the same lunch period together since freshman year.

"Do you always have to be so negative?" Spencer snapped.

"Jesus, who pissed in your Wheaties this morning?" Alison said, sitting down at the table. "Are you mad because you're the only one who didn't get laid this summer?"

"Shut up, Alison." Spencer glared.

"It's okay, Spence, you won't be a virgin forever." Alison said, snidely. "There's gotta be some guy out there willing to take your v-card."

"I thought I told you to shut up." Spencer said, obviously becoming more irritated by the minute.

"Calm down, Spence." Aria said. "What's really bothering you?"

"My parents just suck, that's all."

"What's wrong?" Hanna asked.

"They're letting Melissa and her fiancé move into the barn after promising it to me.

"But you had to take all those AP classes at U Penn and do that internship…" Aria said.

"I know…"

"So you did all of that work for nothing?" Hanna asked.

"It wasn't exactly for nothing. That stuff will look good on my college applications, but that doesn't mean I'm not still pissed. I'm so sick of Melissa always getting her way. It's like I don't even exist. I can't wait to move out."

* * *

A few days later when Spencer arrived home from school, she walked around to the back of her house where she found her father in the back yard, near the house looking at blueprints with a young, muscular, dark-haired woman whom she'd never seen before.

"Hey, Spence." Peter said. "This is Emily Fields. She's going to be working on the remodel."

"Emily, this is my daughter, Spencer."

"Hi, it's nice to meet you." Emily said, extending her hand to Spencer.

"You too." Spencer said, smiling softly at the raven-haired girl in front of her.

Emily held Spencer's gaze for a few long moments before letting go of her hand.

"Are you planning on being home tomorrow afternoon?" Peter asked, looking at his daughter.

"Yeah. I should be home around three. Why?"

"Emily's going to start work on the kitchen tomorrow. I'm going to need you to let her into the house."

"No problem…but, right now I've got a ton of homework. I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then?" Spencer said, glancing over at Emily.

"I'll be here around three thirty." Emily said.

"Okay." Spencer then turned to walk into the house.

Emily couldn't help but stare at Spencer as she disappeared into the Hastings' house.

"So Emily…" Peter said. "About these blueprints…"

"Oh right." Emily said, shaking herself out of her thoughts. "Here's what I came up with…"

* * *

The next afternoon, Spencer was sitting on the couch in her living room, reading a book when she heard the door bell ring. Spencer checked her watch, it was exactly three thirty on the dot. Spencer closed her book, got up off of the couch and walked over to the door. Spencer opened the door to find, Emily Fields standing on the other side.

"Hi, there." Emily said.

"Hi." Spencer smiled, finding herself unable to focus as she stared at Emily's upper body in her obviously too small, plain white v-neck t shirt.

"I give up what's the password?" Emily asked, poking fun at the fact that Spencer was still blocking the doorway.

"What?" Spencer asked, shaking her head.

"I can only do the work, if you let me inside." Emily replied. "I promise I've had all of my shots and I don't bite."

"Oh, God. I'm sorry. Come on in." Spencer said, her skin turning a deep shade of red as she stepped aside.

"Thanks." Emily said, stepping into the house.

"I won't bother you." Emily said, turning around to face Spencer. "I'm just going to be taking some measurements today. I shouldn't be very long."

"Take all the time you need."

Spencer sat back down on the couch and picked up her book again, she tried her best to focus on reading, but found herself having a tough time concentrating, as her gaze somehow kept landing on the tan-skinned woman in her kitchen. On more than one occasion that afternoon, Spencer had caught herself admiring the way Emily's tight, dark-wash jeans hugged her backside. This hadn't been the first time that Spencer had ever found herself sexually attracted to another woman. Over the past few years of her teenage life, Spencer had been finding herself much more attracted to girls instead of guys, but this was something that she had always kept to herself. Spencer allowed her curiosity to get the best of her, when she noticed Emily sketching something onto a piece of paper. Spencer got up off of the couch and walked over to the kitchen island, and glanced over Emily's shoulder as she walked by.

"What are you drawing?" Spencer asked.

"I'm just sketching out a more detailed plan of what your dad wants the kitchen to look like. I need to give my crew something to work off of."

"Your crew? Are you like the supervisor?"

"Sort of…I'm the architect."

"Really? Aren't you a little young to be an architect? I assume you went to college…are you new to Rosewood? I've never seen you around…"

"You want my résumé?" Emily chuckled.

"No, of course not. I'm really sorry, I'll stop bothering you."

"You aren't bothering me and you're definitely not the first person to ever question my credentials, but I can assure you that I am a fully licensed professional. You don't have anything to worry about…I think I have everything I need for right now."

"You're going to give me a totally vague answer and then just leave?"

"My life's not that interesting, trust me." Emily said as she stepped passed Spencer and moved toward the door. "Tell your dad I'll be back bright and early tomorrow morning."

As Spencer watched Emily leave, she couldn't help but feel like Emily had been flirting with her. Spencer was certain that she had felt a spark between the two of them and she was determined to find out more about a certain tall, sexy and mysterious stranger. Being that tomorrow was Saturday, Spencer decided that she would definitely be around…all day.


	2. Chapter 2

I can't believe how much positive feedback I've already received on this story! Thank you guys so much! I really wasn't sure about this idea at first, but you guys have been so encouraging. I hope you all enjoy chapter two.  
-Fender18

* * *

The next morning, Spencer wandered slowly down the stairs, she stopped on the second landing of the staircase and glanced over the railing, where she found Emily Fields and a group of three young men working in her kitchen. Spencer pretty much ignored the men, as her attention immediately focused on Emily. Emily's long black hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and a tool belt hung around her waist. When Emily turned around, she caught a glimpse of Spencer on the staircase.

"I'm sorry if we woke you up." Emily said, sympathetically.

"Don't worry, you didn't." Spencer said, walking into the kitchen. "I just came down to get something to eat."

Spencer walked over to the kitchen island and grabbed an apple out of the bowl, which was sitting in top of the counter.

"Did you happen to see my dad?"

"I did, but he was on his way out the door when I got here this morning. He didn't say where he was going. Sorry."

"It's okay. He was probably going to his office." Spencer then walked into the living room, picked up a book from the coffee table and sat down on the couch.

All morning Spencer sat in the living room, quietly watching Emily work, only pretending to be interested in the book she had in her hand when Emily would walk by to go get something out of her truck.

"Any of you guys seen my hammer?" One of Emily's crew members named Mike asked. "I can't find it."

"You go through tools, like I do underwear." Emily laughed. "Just take mine." Emily said, pulling a hammer out of her tool belt and handing it over to Mike. "I'll go get another one out of the truck."

Spencer smiled to herself as she watched Emily interact with her crew. When Emily turned around, Spencer quickly raised her book to her face, pretending to be very interested in what she was reading.

"Must be a pretty boring book, huh?" Emily said, leaning over Spencer's shoulder when she returned to the room.

"What?"

"You've been on the first page of chapter seven all morning. I'm not the fastest reader, but even I can manage at least two pages in four hours." Emily laughed. "Did daddy send you to baby sit me?"

"Not at all. I…just…I"

"Hey Em, is it cool if we take a lunch break?" Another one of the workers named Ben asked.

Spencer was relieved that he had interrupted.

"Sure." Emily said, walking into the kitchen. "We've been at it all morning. A break couldn't hurt."

"We were thinking about going to grab some burgers or something." The third crew member, Chris said. "You coming?"

"I don't think so. I should really keep working."

"Aw come on." Mike nudged Emily. "We can go to that place next to the gym. Maybe we'll even catch that hot yoga instructor on her way to work."

"Yeah, maybe. There's nothing hot women in the physical fitness industry love more than sloppy construction workers chowing down on greasy burgers and fries." Emily said sarcastically. "She'd never even give any of us the time of day…well maybe me, because I'm the only one of us who can manage to eat without dropping half of my food all over my shirt."

"She's right, dude." Ben laughed, glancing over at Mike.

"You should totally ask her out, Em." Mike said. "I mean, I'm like ninety nine percent sure she's gay."

"Why would you think that?" Emily asked.

"Because I've asked her out like four times and she's said no every time…if she doesn't want all of this, she must be gay."

"You just keep on thinking that." Emily laughed.

"Gay or not, that instructor is crazy hot…" Mike said. "We can at least look. Who knows, maybe we'll even run into some hot Hollis girls. I'm kinda looking to get laid tonight."

"Wow. Definitely use that as your pick up line." Emily said. "The girls will love that. You're such a charmer."

All three of the guys laughed as Emily turned to get back to work.

"You sure you don't want to come to lunch with us?" Ben asked.

"I should really stay here and work. You guys go ahead." Emily said.

"You're such a workaholic." Chris said. "You know you're never gonna meet a girl if all you do is work twenty four seven."

"I'm just not really looking for a girlfriend right now."

"It's been over a year since the whole Stephanie thing, Em." Ben said, placing his hand on Emily's shoulder. "You need to move on, she's not worth it."

"It's not about Stephanie. I'm just way too busy to commit to a girlfriend right now."

"Well, can you at least come to the bar with us after work?" Mike asked. "The rest of us could use a wingman."

"I'll think about it...now instead of standing here worrying about my love life why don't you guys go eat? I need you back here ASAP to help tear out these cabinets."

"All right, we'll be back soon. You want us to bring you back anything, boss?" Chris asked.

"No, I'm fine. Thanks."

When the guys left, Emily went back to work and began tearing out the kitchen cabinets. As Emily was pulling out a cabinet above her head, her index finger caught on an exposed screw, leaving a cut.

"Damn it." Emily said, shaking her hand and walking toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Spencer asked.

"To my truck to get a band aid. I cut my finger."

"I can get you a band aid. Hold on a second." Spencer said before disappearing from the room.

When Spencer came back, she handed Emily a tube of anti-bacterial ointment and a few bandages.

"Are you okay?" Spencer asked.

"I'm fine. It's just a cut. Thanks, Spencer." Emily said smiling softly, as she rubbed some antibiotic cream on her finger.

"You remembered my name?" Spencer asked, obviously surprised.

"Of course. Spencer's a relatively uncommon name. I like it. It's pretty."

"Thanks…so who's Stephanie?"

Spencer couldn't help but notice the sudden look of sadness cross Emily's face at the mention of whomever Stephanie was.

"Oh…she's no one. It's not important. So...uh…what year of college are you in?" Emily asked, quickly changing the subject.

"College? No...I'm still in high school, I'm a senior at Rosewood high."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you seem surprised. What made you think I was a college student?"

"Well, your dad mentioned that you took classes at U Penn, so I just assumed that's where you were going to college. Besides that, you seem too mature to still be in high school."

"I've always been mature for my age and I took summer classes at U Penn to get ahead."

"I see. Well, I really should get back to work. Thanks for the band aid."

"Aren't you going to eat anything? You shouldn't work on an empty stomach."

"I won't. I've got a protein bar, that's all I need."

"You know, I'm surprised that you're doing a lot of this work yourself."

"What do you mean?"

"It's just that, you're the architect. Aren't you supposed to just look at blueprints and tell everyone else what to do?"

"Some architects do that, but not me. I'm much more hands on, I like to be sure things get done the way I want and if I don't do it myself, that usually doesn't happen. I'm a bit of a control freak when it comes to my work."

"I definitely know how you feel...I'm kind of a control freak too...so, how long have you been an architect?"

"I've been licensed for about two years now, but I did a lot of paid, professional work in college when I was an apprentice."

"How long does it take to become an architect?"

"Usually it takes about five years to complete an architectural program. It's a lot more work than people think. I was lucky to be able to finish my degree in four years, though. It was a real pain taking extra classes in between semesters and during the summer, but it was worth it to finish sooner."

"I assume you started college immediately after high school?"

"Actually I finished high school almost a year early, so I could go to college sooner."

"Really? That's impressive. You must have been like seventeen when you started college, right?"

"I was…"

"Interesting."

"Wait a minute…you're totally trying to figure out how old I am, without actually coming out and asking, aren't you?" Emily smirked, narrowing her eyes at Spencer.

Spencer's cheeks immediately flushed, obviously signaling her embarrassment that Emily had figured out exactly what she was trying to do.

"I'm sorry…I was just curious as to how someone who seems so young could already be so well established in their career. I want that."

"It definitely wasn't easy. I took a huge risk starting my own business almost directly out of college, but with a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work, I've been able to make a decent living for myself. Oh and by the way, Spencer…if you wanted to know my age, all you would have had to do was ask. It's not that personal of a question."

"Can I still ask then?" Spencer said shyly, looking away from Emily.

"Sure. I'm twenty three."

"Cool. My sister is twenty two…maybe you know her. Did you ever go to school around here?"

"No. I graduated from Texas Tech's architecture program. I had a full scholarship."

"Well…I'm officially impressed."

* * *

Later that evening, when Emily and her crew had finished packing up for the day, Spencer met Emily as she was walking out the door.

"Emily?"

"Yes?" Emily said, turning around to face Spencer.

"I just wanted to say that it was really nice talking to you today."

"You too." Emily smiled.

"Will you guys be working at all tomorrow?"

"No, I don't usually work on Sundays."

"I guess when you're the boss you get to make your own schedule. Nice perk."

"Yeah, it's actually really nice. I love having Sundays off. I get up early and go to church, then I usually just spend the rest of the day relaxing and recovering from the work week."

"You go to church?"

"Yep. Seven a.m. every Sunday morning…but anyway, I should really get going." Emily said, unbuckling her tool belt from around her waist. "I'll see you later."

Spencer stood at the door, watching Emily walk all the way back to her truck and drive off. Once she was out of sight, Spencer stepped back into the house and closed the door behind her. Spencer leaned her back against the door as she smiled contently to herself. Spencer was much too wrapped up in thoughts of Emily that she never even heard her mother coming down the stairs.

"Spencer, honey." Veronica said. "Is everything all right?"

"Yeah. I'm fine, mom."

"Good. Don't forget, your sister and Wren will be coming home tomorrow morning, don't make plans because we're all going to go out to the club for brunch. I expect that you'll be on your best behavior and not pick a fight with your sister."

"You really should be having this conversation with Melissa, not me." Spencer said as she walked passed her mother and headed upstairs to her room.


	3. Chapter 3

For the rest of the evening, Spencer found herself extremely distracted by thoughts of Emily. She honestly couldn't remember the last time that she found herself so attracted to someone. Spencer knew for certain that she had never felt this attracted to any guy in her life over the past eighteen years. What was it about Emily that she found so appealing? Maybe it was the way Emily's jeans hugged her body or maybe it was the way Emily's t shirts fit just snugly enough to accentuate her incredibly toned abdominal muscles. Perhaps it was even the fact that Emily was older or the mysterious aura that always seemed to surround her, Spencer couldn't be sure. All she knew was that each conversation with Emily left her dying to know more about the twenty three year old architect. It was shortly after one a.m. when Spencer finally got into bed for the night, she reached over to the nightstand, switched off the light and rolled over in bed.

* * *

Still in her pajamas, Spencer rubbed her eyes as she made her way downstairs to the kitchen, like she did almost every morning. When Spencer approached the last stair, she placed her hand on the banister at the bottom of the staircase and turned the corner toward the kitchen. Spencer stopped dead in her tracks as she saw Emily leaning against the island in the kitchen with her arms folded over her chest, wearing her tool belt and absolutely nothing else.

"Hi, Spencer." Emily said, raising an eyebrow at the brunette.

"Em...Emily?" Spencer stuttered, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Wha...what are you doing here?"

"Don't pretend like you don't want me. I've seen the way you look at me."

Spencer felt her heart race out of control as she slowly moved closer to Emily.

"Emily...I..."

"It's okay." Emily said softly as she reached out and tucked a lock of Spencer's hair behind her ear.

Emily then leaned in and gently pressed her lips to Spencer's. Spencer closed her eyes and melted into the kiss as she slid her hands up over Emily's bare shoulders. To Spencer, this felt nothing like kissing any guy she had even been with. Emily's lips were unbelievably soft and Spencer never wanted the kiss to end. Spencer's head was spinning as Emily gently slipped her tongue into the brunette's mouth.

"You know, I've been dying to do that since the minute I met you." Emily said, when she eventually broke the kiss.

Spencer just smiled and leaned in to kiss Emily again.

"What do you say we go up to your room?" Emily asked, softly.

"Let's go…" Spencer said, taking Emily's hand and leading her upstairs.

* * *

"Spencer honey, it's time to get up." Veronica called.

Spencer's eyes snapped open, as she was awaken from her dream by the sound of her mother's voice. Spencer quickly closed her eyes again, wanting desperately to get back to her dream, but it was already gone. Spencer groaned loudly and glanced over at the clock next to her bed, it was already after ten a.m. Frustrated and highly aroused, Spencer rolled over onto her back and wiped the sweat from her forehead, she couldn't help but replay the dream over in her head, which only further fueled the strong, uncomfortable throbbing between her legs. Desperately needing to alleviate the sexual frustration which was now plaguing both her mind and body, Spencer slipped her right hand underneath the blanket and over her abdomen. She slowly slid her hand underneath the waistband of her shorts, allowing her fingers to rest overtop of her panties, which were already soaked with her own desire. Spencer then slowly began rubbing herself in a circular motion, through her underwear. After a few minutes, Spencer found herself growing desperate for more direct stimulation. She stopped abruptly, but just long enough to move her hand underneath the fabric of her underwear. Spencer slipped her middle and index fingers into her own body, seeking out her most sensitive spot. She soon found a steady rhythm with her fingers, Spencer bucked into her own hand, desperately trying to will her already rapidly approaching orgasm to come quicker. Without slowing her pace, Spencer snaked her free hand up underneath her tank top to stimulate one of her nipples. Spencer could feel a tightening sensation building deep within the pit of her stomach as she rubbed herself even faster and harder. She bit her lip in an attempt to stifle a moan as she felt her body nearing release. A moment later, her back arched and her hips jerked upward as she as she finally reached her climax. Spencer then sunk down into the bed and closed her eyes, enjoying the lingering tremors of orgasm.

"Spencer. Are you awake?" Veronica called out from down the hall.

Jesus, can't I get one fucking minute of peace? Spencer thought as she opened her eyes and removed her hand from her underwear.

"Yeah mom...I'm awake." Spencer called out.

A few minutes later, Veronica opened Spencer's door and walked into the room.

"Morning, sweetheart."

"Morning." Spencer grumbled.

"Do you feel all right, honey?"

"I'm fine. Why?"

"Your skin is a little flushed, do you have a fever?" Veronica asked placing the back of her hand on Spencer's forehead.

"No. I'm okay. I just...don't think the air conditioning is working." Spencer lied, not wanting her mother to know what she was actually doing. "It was really hot in here all night."

"Hmmm. I didn't notice any difference, but I'll have Emily take a look at the air conditioner tomorrow. Have you met Emily yet?"

"Yeah. I like her, but Emily's an architect, what makes you think she'd be able to fix an air conditioner?"

"For what your father and I are paying her, she should be able to fix anything in this house. Now...I don't mean to rush you, but we're meeting your sister and Wren at the club in less than an hour. You need to get ready."

"I'll be ready, don't worry." Spencer rolled her eyes.

Veronica smiled at her daughter before turning to leave the room.

* * *

Once Spencer had showered and gotten dressed, she walked downstairs and into the kitchen. Spencer was annoyed to find that her parents weren't even ready to leave yet, as they were still upstairs.

"Bitch at me to get ready...they're not even ready..." Spencer mumbled to herself as she plopped down on the couch in the living room.

A few minutes later, Spencer heard a knock at the door. When she opened the door, Spencer found Emily standing on the porch, but she looked very different today. Emily had on a pair of perfectly creased black dress slacks, a white button down shirt, along with a black blazer and a pair of polished, leather Oxfords.

"Oh my God." Without thinking, Spencer reacted by quickly slamming the door.

A little surprised by Spencer's reaction, Emily knocked on the door again.

"Shit." Spencer mumbled as she pulled the door open again.

"Am I really that ugly?" Emily laughed when she saw Spencer again.

"No, no, no...not at all. I guess I just wasn't expecting you. I'm really, really sorry. I didn't mean to slam the door on you."

"It's okay. It's not like you're the first girl to ever slam a door in my face." Emily laughed.

"I really am sorry…" Spencer said, looking Emily up and down. "Do you want to come in?"

"No thanks, I can't stay. I'm on my way home from church, but last night I completely forgot to give your dad my plans for the landscaping I'm going to be doing outside of your guest house. I wanted to drop off my sketches for him to look over."

As Emily talked, Spencer's mind slowly began to wander back to her dream, causing her to feel extremely guilty. Here was Emily standing in front if her, she had just come from church and Spencer couldn't focus on anything except the slew of impure thoughts she had had about Emily this morning.

"Would you give these to your dad for me, please?" Emily asked, handing the plans to Spencer.

"Yes. Of course." Spencer said, shaking the thoughts from her mind.

"Are you okay? Emily asked, looking at Spencer.

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"You seem awfully distracted this morning."

"It's just that, I have to go to brunch at my family's country club with my parents, my sister and her fiancé, I'm really not looking forward to it, that's all."

"Sunday brunch at a country club? That sounds just awful, I can see why you're upset." Emily said sarcastically.

"I just don't feel like I fit in there. Everyone's going to be falling all over my sister, talking about wedding stuff, I'm just not into that."

"Well…I haven't met your sister, but I would assume that all eyes would be on you…you look very nice today."

"Thanks." Spencer said, blushing slightly. "You clean up pretty well, yourself."

"Yeah, most people don't recognize me, if I'm not wearing ripped jeans and a stained t shirt…or at least my tool belt." Emily smiled softly at Spencer for a moment.

"I…bet not." Spencer said, gluing her eyes to the ground as her skin reddened again.

"Well…I should really get going. I promised my mom I'd call her after church. Would you have your dad give me a call some time tonight? I'd really like to know what he thinks of my plans."

"Sure, I'll tell him."

"Thanks. He should already have my cell number, but I'll give it to you, just in case."

Emily then pulled a small notepad and a pen out of the chest pocket on her shirt. She scribbled down her number and handed the piece of paper to Spencer.

"I'll make sure my dad gets these." Spencer said, holding up Emily's sketches.

"Great, thanks a lot. I'll see you later."

"Bye."

Spencer walked back into the house and set the sketches on the coffee table in the living room. She picked up her own cell phone and added Emily's phone number to her contact list. Spencer then slipped her phone into her bag and began browsing Emily's sketches.

"Hey, Spence. You about ready to go?" Peter asked when he entered the room.

"Yeah. I've been waiting for you guys. Where's mom?"

"She'll be down in a minute…what are you looking at there?"

"Oh, Emily stopped by a few minutes ago to drop off these sketches for the landscaping around the barn. She wants you to look over them and call her tonight to let her know what you think."

"Let me see those." Peter said, taking the sketches from his daughter.

Peter silently flipped through the drawings.

"These are great. I wouldn't change a thing." Peter said. "I'm sure Emily and her crew will do a fantastic job. Remind me to call her when we get back from the club."

"I could always call her for you, if you want…I'm sure you and mom will be pretty busy with Wren and Melissa doing wedding stuff."

"If you don't mind, that would be great, actually." Peter said. "Thanks, Spence. That's one less thing I have to worry about."

"It's no problem at all." Spencer smiled to herself. "So…dad…what exactly made you pick Emily?"

"I know she's young, but Emily came highly recommended. She's one of the most talented people in the business. In fact, I was lucky to have even gotten her at all for such a big job. She turned down quite a few other jobs to make time for this one."

"How long is the whole job supposed to take?"

"There's a lot to be done. We originally figured on at least a month and a half at minimum for the addition and possibly a few weeks to remodel the kitchen, but these things tend to take a little longer than expected. Nothing ever goes according to plan. We'll just have to wait and see. I hope you like Emily, because we're sure going to be seeing a lot of her."

"That's fine by me. I think she's really nice."

A minute later, Veronica came down the stairs and walked into the living room.

"I just talked to Melissa." Veronica said. "She and Wren are almost to the club, we should get going."


	4. Chapter 4

"Melissa, when will you and Wren and be moving home?" Veronica asked.

"Wren starts his residency at the hospital next Monday, so we're hoping to be settled in before then. We brought as many boxes up with us today as we could. Is the barn ready for us?"

"Yes." Peter said. "I'm having some landscaping done around it, but other than that the inside is furnished and ready for you to move in."

By this point in time, Spencer had taken to mainly just pushing her food around on her plate as she thought about a million other places she'd rather be.

"Spencer? Is everything all right?" Wren asked in his thick British accent. "You're unusually quiet today."

"I'm fine." Spencer said as she absent-mindedly fingered the glass of water in front of her.

Spencer hoped her family time would end after brunch, but of course it didn't, she was then forced to spend the early afternoon mingling with her parents' friends, clients and business acquaintances. For the most part, Spencer just stood idly by without contributing much to the conversation as she listened to her parents brag about Melissa.

"Spencer, you must be so excited for your big sister to get married..." A woman, who had been talking to Veronica said. "Just think, pretty soon it'll be you walking down the aisle with an equally handsome and successful man."

"Yeah...I don't know about that."

"Don't be so modest. A smart, pretty girl like you must have a boyfriend."

"Nope. No boyfriend."

"Playing hard to get are we?" The woman smiled.

"Sure. Let's go with that."

"You know, there are a lot of promising young men here, Spencer." Veronica said. "It couldn't hurt to at least network."

"Yeah. I'll see what I can do, mom."

"Are you sure you're all right, honey?" Veronica asked, sensing some tension in her daughter's voice.

"Yeah. I just need to get some air." Spencer said, excusing herself from the conversation and walking off in the opposite direction.

* * *

Spencer pulled her phone from the pocket of her cardigan and browsed her contacts for Emily's number. Once she found it, she pressed send and raised her phone to her ear. After a few rings Emily picked up.

"Emily Fields here."

"Hi, Emily. This is Spencer Hastings."

"Miss Hastings. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I'm just calling to let you know that my dad loved your sketches. He was going to call you himself, but he's busy right now, so I thought I'd let you know."

"He really liked my sketches?"

"Yep. He says he wouldn't change a thing."

"Wow really?"

"Definitely. Don't sound so surprised, you're obviously talented."

"Thank you very much."

"Are you going to be working tomorrow?"

"Yeah. I'm planning on getting an early start tomorrow morning."

"Hey Spence." Spencer heard a voice say from behind her.

Spencer turned around to see Alison standing behind her.

"Hey, I gotta go." Spencer said, into the phone.

"All right. I'm really glad your father liked my sketches. Thanks for calling."

"You're welcome. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay. Bye."

Spencer then ended the call and shoved her phone back into her pocket.

"Alison? What are you doing here?"

"My parents dragged my brother and I here for brunch, but I ditched them. Who were you talking you?"

"No one. It's not important."

"Oh really? Then why are you grinning like an idiot?"

"I'm not."

"Yes you are. Who was it?"

"I told you, it's not important. Don't worry about it."

"Fine, but you know I'll find out eventually. Anyway...I'm heading out to the tennis courts. Wanna come?"

"Sure. Just let me run to the locker room and change clothes."

"We're not playing, we're only watching. I just saw a bunch of hot guys carrying tennis rackets."

"Can't we play against them? I could really use the exercise."

"No way. You're way too aggressive."

"I'm not that aggressive."

"Yes you are and no guy will ever hit on you if you kick his ass at sports."

"I'm not interested in anyone who can't handle a little competition."

"You totally don't get how guys work, do you? No wonder you're still a virgin." Alison rolled her eyes.

"Who cares if I am, it's not that big of a deal. I just haven't found anybody worth doing it with."

"Please, Spencer. Your first time isn't going to be that great anyway. Just fuck someone and get it over with. Now come on." Alison said, grabbing Spencer's hand and dragging her away. "We've got a tennis court full of man candy just waiting for us."

"Fine." Spencer sighed, knowing that she didn't really have a choice in the matter.

* * *

The next morning, Spencer had been in her bedroom getting dressed, when she heard a soft knock at the door.

"Come in." Spencer called out as she slipped her shirt on over her head before walking over to her desk to grab a stack of books.

"Good morning." A voice said, from the doorway.

Spencer had expected her mother, but when she turned around, instead it was Emily leaning against the door jamb.

"Hi, Emily. What's up?"

"Your mom said that you were having trouble with the air conditioning up here. I looked at the outside unit, but I couldn't find anything wrong, so I thought I'd check your vents, but I think right now, it feels pretty comfortable in here or are you hot?"

"I'm getting there." Spencer mumbled softly to herself.

"I'm sorry?"

"Oh I uh, think it feels fine in here, I think maybe it was just me. I'm really sorry my mom bothered you."

"It's no bother at all. Since I'm already up here I may as well go ahead and take a look at the vents, if that's okay with you."

"Sure. There's one beside the bed and one over by the closet."

Emily then knelt down beside the bed and carefully inspected the vent.

"This one looks clear, I don't see any blockage. I'll take a look at the other one."

Emily walked across the room and got down on the floor again. Spencer stared at Emily for a few long moments, only looking away and pretending to pack her book bag, when Emily stood up again.

"Well, this one looks okay too. It could always just be the location of this room in the house. Sometimes certain rooms in a house will tend to be slightly warmer or cooler based on the position."

"Really?"

"Sure. My bedroom always seems to be a few degrees warmer than the rest of my apartment."

Spencer then noticed Emily staring at all of the ribbons and trophies on the shelf.

"Are those all yours?" Emily asked.

"Yep. You might say I'm a little competitive."

"No kidding." Emily laughed.

"I just like to keep up with my sister."

"Speaking of your sister, how did your family brunch with the fiancé go over?"

"It was totally boring. All I did was sit around and listen to my sister tell my parents everything she needs to have the perfect wedding and if everything isn't exactly perfect it'll ruin her marriage. She's a total drama queen…do you have any annoying siblings?"

"Nope. I'm an only child."

"You're so lucky."

Emily smiled softly at Spencer, holding her gaze for a long time before speaking again.

"Well, I should probably get to work. Your house won't remodel itself."

"I guess I should get to school. I don't want to be late."

"Something tells me you never have been."

"You would be correct. I've got near perfect attendance too."

"Why am I not surprised?" Emily laughed.

"After you." Emily then motioned for Spencer to exit the room first.

"Thank you." Spencer smiled at Emily before stepping passed her and out of the room.

* * *

Over the next few days, Spencer faithfully returned home directly after school, hoping to have as many opportunities as possible to talk or at least see Emily. One Friday afternoon, when Spencer returned home from school, she noticed Emily kneeling on the ground in the back yard working on the landscaping around the barn. Emily had on her usual tight jeans, but this time she had on nothing more than a white tank top, which revealed a large, very elaborate tattoo of a cross on her right shoulder blade. Spencer laid her book bag on the table in the yard and sat down. She opened a textbook and notebook to create the illusion that she was doing homework. It didn't take long for Emily to notice that Spencer had been watching her, as every time Emily turned around, Spencer wasn't quite quick enough at averting her gaze. After about half an hour, Emily stood up, discarded the gloves that she was wearing and approached Spencer.

"Hi, Spencer. How are you doing today?"

"I'm fine. How are you?"

"Good. Thanks." Emily said leaning against the table.

Spencer couldn't help but stare at Emily's sweat-soaked tank top, which was now clinging tightly to her midsection. Spencer watched as a few droplets of sweat rolled down Emily's chest and disappeared.

"So, you look pretty hot…" Spencer said.

Emily laughed out loud, she knew what Spencer meant, but Emily still couldn't keep herself from laughing.

"Oh God." Spencer closed her eyes as a slight blush graced her cheeks. "I mean hot as in the temperature…like it's warm outside."

"Oh, so you don't think I'm attractive then?"

"That's not what I meant either, I just…"

"Relax. I know what you mean." Emily smiled.

"You want to come inside? I can get you something to drink."

"Sure, that sounds great. Thanks."

Spencer stood up. As she and Emily began walking toward the house, Spencer purposely lagged slightly behind, attempting to get a better look at Emily's tattoo.

"So where's your crew today?" Spencer asked as she and Emily walked into the kitchen.

"I gave them the day off, it's just me today."

"That was nice of you…is iced tea okay?"

"Perfect, thanks."

Spencer then filled a glass and handed it to Emily.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"So…do you like it?" Emily asked, raising the glass to her lips.

"Like what?" Spencer asked, confused.

"My tattoo." Emily smirked, looking over her shoulder. "I know you were checking it out."

"Oh…yeah I like it a lot…did it hurt?" Spencer asked as she reached up and ran her fingers over Emily shoulder.

"Not really. You kind of get used to the pain after a while."

"Do you have any more?"

"Yeah. You wanna see my other one?" Emily set her glass down on the counter.

"Sure."

"Okay." Emily said as she reached down and began to unbutton her jeans.

"Wait. Where is this tattoo, exactly?" Spencer asked, grabbing Emily's hands.

"I'm just kidding with you." Emily chuckled. "The one on my shoulder is actually the only one I've got right now."

"Oh…" Spencer laughed too, although she found herself somewhat disappointed.

"So…you've pretty much been here every day watching me work. Not that I mind an audience, but you've got to have something better to do. I'm sure you've got a boyfriend who's missing hanging out with you."

"I don't have a boyfriend. I'm single."

"Oh." Emily said, nonchalantly.

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing." Emily smiled. "I should really get back to work. Thanks for the drink."

* * *

The next morning, Spencer came downstairs where she saw her father talking with Emily in the living room.

"Do you have any idea when the countertops will be getting here?" Mr. Hastings asked.

"Should be by the middle of next week. They're being imported from Italy, I had to special order them. So until they're delivered, I'm going to continue with the landscaping outside and when my crew gets here, I'll have them start on installing the new kitchen cabinets."

"Sounds good to me. Keep up the good work. You're doing a fantastic job."

"Thank you, Mister Hastings."

"I'm off to a meeting, but if you need anything, Spencer will be here, right Spence?"

"Yeah. I don't have any plans today."

Mr. Hastings then pulled his car keys from his pocket and walked out of the house.

"So...you're really having our counters imported from Italy?" Spencer asked.

"Yeah, the manufacturer of the style your parents picked out is headquartered in Rome. All of the work they do is custom designed. Your dad picked one of the most expensive marble countertops, it's costing him a small fortune. Personally, I don't even know why you guys are remodeling this kitchen, it's beautiful just the way it is."

"My dad is just trying to keep up with the neighbors. They recently did a remodel, so naturally my dad has to go bigger and better."

"Perfectly understandable." Emily laughed. "So, does anyone live in your guest house out back there?"

"I was supposed to move in, my parents promised it to me. I did all of the design work and decorating, I put my whole summer into it, then my sister and her fiancé come along and my parents give it to them right out from under me."

"I'm really sorry to hear that."

"It's fine. I'm used to them pulling stuff like that."

"Do you mind if I take a look at the interior?"

"You really want to?"

"Sure."

"Okay. Let's go."

Emily followed Spencer outside, across the yard and into the barn. Emily walked into the kitchen and looked around.

"Spencer, this is amazing. You did all of the work yourself?"

"Yep. I've been thinking about maybe studying interior design."

"You definitely should. You've got some serious talent."

"You really think so?"

"Absolutely." Emily said, glancing over into the living room. "This is a lot better work than I've seen from some of the professionals I've worked with."

"Thanks." Spencer blushed slightly, staring at Emily.

Emily only looked away when she heard her cell phone ring. She pulled her phone from her pocket and looked at the caller ID.

"Would you excuse me for just a minute? It's my mom."

"Sure."

Emily then raised her phone to her ear.

"Hi mom. Is everything okay?…I know. I'm sorry I didn't call you back yesterday, I got busy and forgot…no, I'm not seeing anyone right now, nothing new since you asked me last week...no, I don't want to move back to Texas…I'm sure there are plenty of nice girls in Texas, but I like it here in Rosewood…yes, I realize that I'm not getting any younger." Emily rolled her eyes. "Look mom, can we please argue about my love life some other time, I'm working…okay…I'll talk you later…I love you too…okay, bye."

Emily turned around to see Spencer, trying her best to fight a smile.

"I love my mom, but she cares more about me dating someone than I do. She's always telling me about all these nice girls she knows who would be perfect for me."

"Well…why don't you have a girlfriend? I'm sure you wouldn't have any trouble finding someone. You're young and successful."

"Honestly, I prefer to just hit and run. I get what I need and don't have to deal with the emotions, a relationship, or a break-up. It's easier that way. No one gets hurt."

"Who hurt you so badly to make you think that way?"

"No one...I just…meant that I don't want to hurt anyone by getting involved…I'm really busy with work and stuff…that's all." Emily stammered.

"Well, I still find it hard to believe that a nice, church-going girl like you, sleeps with a girl and bails out before she wakes up."

"Fortunately, no one ever accused me of being a saint. Just because I go to church every week doesn't mean that I don't still have needs to be sated every now and again."

A few moments later, Melissa walked into the barn with shopping bags full of things for the barn.

"Melissa, have you met Emily? She's the architect working on the remodel. Emily, this is my sister, Melissa."

"Hi, Emily Fields." Emily said, extending her hand to Melissa.

"Excuse me, but is my father paying you to stand around and chit chat with my sister?"

"No. I suppose he isn't." Emily chuckled. "I'll be outside, then. It was nice meeting you." Emily said, looking at Melissa before exiting the barn.

"Why do you have to be so rude?" Spencer snapped. "Emily was nothing but nice."

"I don't care if she's the nicest person on the planet. She's being paid to do a job so she should be doing it."

"You're unbelievable. Where do you even get off talking to people the way you do?"

Spencer then turned around and stormed out of the barn, slamming the door behind her.


	5. Chapter 5

Before Emily left the Hastings' house for the evening, Spencer caught up with the architect as she was loading some equipment into the back of her truck.

"Listen...Emily, I want you to know that I'm really sorry about how my sister treated you earlier. She can be a little difficult."

"She seems like quite a trip, that's for sure." Emily laughed as she unbuckled her tool belt from her waist and tossed it into the truck. "But it's okay. I've worked with clients a lot more outspoken than your sister. "

"Still, I just wanted to apologize. She was totally rude to you. I didn't want you to get the impression that I'm at all like her."

"Don't worry, I never got that impression from you at all, but thank you for apologizing…well, I really should get home and take a shower...that is if I can even manage to get this shirt off." Emily said, tugging at her sweat-soaked tank top. "It wasn't even supposed to get so hot today."

Spencer now found herself unable to focus on anything, except picturing Emily in the shower.

"Spencer? Are you okay?" Emily asked, noticing the spaced-out expression on the brunette's face.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just remembered a homework assignment that I forgot to do."

"I'll let you get to your homework, then. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll be here." Spencer smiled.

"Cool. Have a good night." Emily said as she walked around to the driver's side of her truck.

"Thanks. You too."

* * *

A few days later

"So did you guys check out the Hastings' daughter the other day?" Mike asked.

"Which one?" Ben asked.

"The older one."

"You know she's engaged, right?" Emily said. "And totally stuck up and condescending."

"Who cares. She's crazy hot." Mike said. "Speaking of hot girls...Em, I know this girl who wants to go out with you."

"Who is it?" Emily asked.

"You don't know her, she's a friend of my brother."

"Thanks, but no thanks. I don't really do blind dates."

"Come on, Em. She's totally hot. You'll like her."

"I'm sure she's great, but I'm really not interested in dating anyone."

"Well...I sort of already told her you'd take her out."

"You what? Why would you do that?" Emily said, obviously frustrated. "Now I'm gonna look like a total ass if I don't go. Thanks. Not cool, dude."

"Maybe you should go, Em." Ben said. "You might have a good time, besides, you haven't seriously dated anyone since Stephanie."  
"Why do you guys all care so much about me dating? You're almost as bad as my mom. She calls me everyday and asks me if I have a girlfriend yet."

"We just want you to be happy, Em." Chris said. "And I don't think you will be until you let go of Stephanie. You're not the only person to ever get cheated on by a girlfriend."

"Can we not go the Stephanie route today, please? A, I don't really feel like talking about this and B, I've told you guys, I'm over it. I'm over her. I put the whole situation behind me when I left Texas and moved back to Pennsylvania. I don't want to hear anything else about it."

"Sorry, Em." Chris said, sympathetically.

"It's cool." Emily said. "I appreciate that you guys care about me, but I'm fine, really."

"So are you gonna go on this date or what?" Mike asked. "What's the worst that could possibly happen, you go out with this girl, turn on the charm and take her home with you. Besides, You can't tell me you aren't dying to get a little action."

"Just because I haven't seriously dated anyone in a while doesn't mean I haven't slept with anyone. I get enough when I want it."

"Dude, Emily gets girls that most guys only dream of hooking up with." Ben chimed in. "Do you have any idea how many guys would kill to be in your position, Em?"

"You've definitely got a way with the ladies." Mike said. "You have an advantage, so use it. Just take this girl out, I know you'll like her."

Emily just rolled her eyes.

"When did you tell this girl we were going out?" Emily asked.

"Friday night. I said you'd meet her at the Applerose Grille at eight."

"What if I already have plans?"

Mike just stated at Emily, skeptically.

"What do you have going on? You get up you work, then you go home and work more. I hate to say it, but your life's not that exciting."

"Fine. I'll go. But you better never do this to me again, if you do, I'll break your legs."

* * *

After school, Spencer had been in her back yard, practicing for field hockey. She lined her stick up and swung, sending her targeted ball flying through the air and straight at Emily who was now walking through the yard, not paying any attention at all.

"Emily!" Spencer shouted across the yard.

Emily's head snapped up to see the ball, she reacted quickly, reaching up and catching the ball in her right hand.

"Oh my God. I'm so sorry." Spencer said as she ran over to Emily. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Emily said, tossing the ball to Spencer. "That's a pretty mean shot you've got there, it's definitely got some bite to it." Emily shook her hand, trying to rid the stinging sensation left by the ball. "Your aim could use some work though."

"Tell me about it." Spencer groaned. "I missed two penalty shots in my game last week. I totally suck." Spencer dropped the stick and ball to the ground.

"No you don't." Emily said as she bent down and picked up the hockey stick. "I think you just need to open up your stance a little bit, you'd get better control that way."

"You think so?"

"Definitely." Emily said as she scooped the ball up, balancing it on the stick.

"Were you a hockey player?" Spencer asked, impressed by Emily's skill.

"Nope. I was a swimmer, but I love sports and I briefly dated a girl when I was in high school who played hockey. I used to help her practice."

"Cool...so you think I should open up my stance, huh? Maybe you could show me exactly what you mean?"

"Is your sister gonna come out and yell at me for slacking off?" Emily asked, nonchalantly bouncing the ball on the stick.

Spencer laughed.

"She's not here. She's in Philadelphia for the day."

"All right then." Emily said, discarding the ball.

"First off, spread your feet further apart." Emily gently tapped the insides of Spencer's sneakers with the hockey stick.

Spencer did as she was told, moving her feet approximately shoulder-width apart.

"Okay, now take this." Emily handed Spencer back the stick. "Relax your shoulders. Your posture is way too ridged. You'll never pull off a good shot like that."

"How's this?" Spencer asked, wrapping her hands around the stick and leaning down, slightly.

"Better. But your shoulders are still way too tense, loosen up a little bit." Emily said as she placed her hands on Spencer's shoulders from behind. "Relax your whole upper body."

Spencer smiled to herself as she felt Emily's hands on her shoulders.

"There you go. That's a lot better." Emily said, gently squeezing Spencer's shoulders when she felt the brunette finally relax her body.

"Now, just turn your hips a tiny bit this way." Emily said, placing her hands on Spencer's hips and turning her body slightly.

Being in such close proximity to one another allowed Spencer to take in the hot, musky scent of Emily's perfume which mingled with a hint of a cedar-like scent, presumably from the wood chips Emily was working with on the landscaping around the barn.

"Where do you think I should put my hands?" Spencer asked, turning her head to look over at Emily's face.

Emily reached her arms around to the front of Spencer's body and placed her own hands on top of Spencer's.

"Put your top hand right about here." Emily said, sliding Spencer's hand down over the stick. "And your other hand down here. Perfect. Don't move." Emily said, letting go of Spencer's hands.

Emily then picked up the orange practice ball lying in the grass nearby and placed it on the ground near Spencer's feet.

"Okay. Now shoot. Right in between those two trees there." Emily said, stepping back and folding her arms over her chest.

Spencer looked up at her target then back down at the ball. She pulled her stick back and swung hard at the ball, which went sailing through the air, across the yard and perfectly in between the two trees, which she was aiming at.

"Nice shot." Emily said.

"Wow, that was perfect." Spencer smiled.

Without even thinking about it, Spencer walked over to Emily and wrapped her arms tightly around the raven-haired girl's body.

"Thanks. Now I might actually score a goal."

"You're welcome." Emily smiled, placing her hand on Spencer's back. "I'm happy to help, but right now, I have some work to get done, or else your dad'll have my head."

"Thanks, again." Spencer said as she pulled away from Emily.

"No problem." Emily smiled as she turned around and walked off.


	6. Chapter 6

The next day at school.

"Hey Spence." Aria said, with Hanna following as they approached Spencer who was pulling some books from her locker.

"Hey. What's up?"

"Not too much. You've been kinda MIA lately."

"Yeah." Hanna agreed. "I see you at school then you pretty much disappear. Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine. I've just been really busy with student council and hockey and stuff. You guys wanna hang out on Friday night?"

"I can't…I sort of have a date." Aria said.

"Really? Did Noel Kahn finally ask you out?" Hanna said.

"Yeah, this morning. We're going to a movie."

"I told you Mona said he was gonna ask you out. Don't underestimate her ability to find stuff out."

Spencer just rolled her eyes.

"What about you Han, you wanna hang out on Friday night?"

"Sorry, Spence, but I have a date too."

"With that new kid?" Aria asked.

"Yeah, his name's Caleb. He's not my usual type, but we've been out a few times and I think there might be some chemistry between us."

"Alison's going away this weekend, so I guess I'll just be flying solo then." Spencer said as she shut her locker door.

"We can do something on Saturday night, but in the meantime, we need to find you a man, Spence." Hanna said, as she and her friends began walking down the hall. "Anyone you've got your eye on?"

"Not really. Guys are way too much trouble…I gotta get to class, I'll see you guys later."

"Okay. Bye Spence." Aria said as she watched Spencer walk off down the hall.

* * *

Friday evening.

Spencer wandered through the house, stopping at her father's office. She knocked on the door, which was already slightly cracked open.

"Hey dad."

"Hey Spence. Do you need something?"

"I just wanted to see if maybe you wanted to go to the country club and play some tennis with me?"

"I can't, I've got tons of emails and phone calls to return. Ask your mother." Peter said as he went back to tapping on his phone.

"Are you coming to my hockey game next week?"

"I don't think I'm going to be able to make it this time. Your mother and I are going to be backed up with late meetings all week. Sorry, sport."

"It's fine." Spencer said, turning around as moving toward the door. "You never come to my games anyway." She sighed under her breath as she walked out of the room.

Spencer then walked into the living room where she found her mother sitting on the couch, looking over some paperwork.

"Hi mom."

"Hi honey." Veronica said, barely looking up from the papers in her hands.

"What are you looking at?" Spencer asked.

"Just some court orders and trial transcripts, nothing too exciting."

"Would you be able to take a break? I was hoping maybe you'd feel like going to club to play some tennis or something with me."

"I'd love to, but I really can't right now. I've got a lot of paperwork to go through. Maybe this weekend. Why don't you call your friends?" Veronica asked, looking back down at the papers in her hand.

"They're all busy with other stuff tonight. I guess I'll just go for a walk or something then."

"Okay honey."

"Then maybe I'll get drunk, buy some drugs and get shanked in an alley." Spencer said, suspecting her mother had stopped listening.

"Just don't stay out too late, okay sweetheart?"

Spencer just shook her head and walked out the door without saying another word. Spencer slowly walked to the end of the sidewalk and looked across the street at the DiLaurentis' house. It was completely dark, as they had gone away for the weekend. Although Alison usually got on Spencer's nerves, many times to the point where Spencer questioned their friendship, at least Alison paid attention, which was more than Spencer could say for her family most days. Spencer crossed the street and continued walking. For the next fifteen or so minutes, Spencer wandered aimlessly through Rosewood, only stopping when she reached the Applerose Grille, after deciding that she could really use a cup of coffee. Spencer walked up to the front of the restaurant, opened the door and stepped inside. She walked up to the counter, ordered a cup of the restaurant's strongest coffee and waited for the clerk to return. As Spencer waited for her coffee, she turned around and leaned against the counter, she stared off into the distance across the restaurant, where she spotted Emily sitting alone at a table in the corner of the room.

"Here's your coffee." The clerk said.

"Thanks." Spencer said, turning around and taking the cup off of the counter.

Spencer then walked across the crowded room to the table where Emily was sitting. Emily didn't even notice Spencer approaching her, as she sat absentmindedly fingering the  
napkin in front of her.

"Hi, Emily."

Emily looked up to see Spencer standing in front of her.

"Hey, Spencer. It's nice to see you."

"You too. Are you alone?"

"It's beginning to look that way." Emily said looking at her watch, it was nearly nine o'clock. "I was supposed to meet my date here at eight, but she hasn't shown up yet. I think I've been stood up."

"How could someone just not show up?"

"I don't know, but I knew a blind date was a bad idea from the beginning. Remind me to never let my friends set me up again…I guess I should still order something to eat though. I'm starving, but I didn't want to be rude by ordering something before my date showed up…"

"You're worried about being rude, yet your date is an hour late and never called to cancel?"

"Yeah well, My mother always taught me to be polite, there is no other option…listen Spencer, if you're not too busy, you're more than welcome to join me for dinner."

"I'd love to have dinner with you."

"Great. Why don't you sit down? I'm sure the waitress will be back in a minute."

Spencer set her coffee cup on the table and pulled out her chair, before taking a seat across from Emily.

"So, what are you up to tonight?"

"Not too much, I just stopped by for some coffee and I saw you, so I thought I'd come say hello."

"I'm glad you did."

After a few minutes, a waitress approached the table and took Emily and Spencer's orders. As the waitress began walking away, Emily pulled her phone from her jacket pocket when she heard it chime.

"Excuse me for just one minute." Emily said as she began typing on her phone.

After a moment Emily slipped her phone back into her jacket.

"Was it important?" Spencer asked.

"Not really. My mom wants to come visit me. She just wanted to know when is good for me, though I guess it really doesn't matter when she comes, she'll just end up spending the whole time scouring Rosewood to find me a girlfriend."

"Does your mother know you prefer to hit it and quit it?" Spencer smirked.

"God no. And I'm sure that as far as my mother is concerned, I'm still a virgin, even though she knows it's not true. She thinks I can't do any wrong."

"At least she's supportive. You and your mom are close..." Spencer said, her words coming as more of a question than a statement.

"Yeah, we are. My dad's in the Army. He was away a lot when I was growing up, so it was just my mom and I most of the time."

"Can I ask you kind of a personal question?"

"Sure. Go ahead."

"Was it hard for you to come out to your mom?"

"I come from a pretty hardcore Catholic, military family. Coming out was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my entire life. I was sure my mom would hate me, but I couldn't keep lying to myself or to her."

"Obviously she doesn't hate you though."

"No, but things were pretty tense between us for a while. There were a lot of tears, but eventually she got over it. I think my dad really helped change her mind. He was on my side the whole time."

"Is your dad overseas now?"

"No, right now he's stationed at the Fort hood military base in Texas. He does mostly training and supervising new recruits."

"So...you said you went to college in Texas. That's not exactly close to Rosewood. How'd you end up here?" Spencer asked.

"After I graduated from Texas Tech, I had a lot going on in my life. I felt like I needed a fresh start somewhere new. I made a lot of good professional connections when I was an apprentice architect and I ended up being referred to a few clients in the Philadelphia area who were willing to pay me top dollar to work for them. I don't like to brag, but I was considered somewhat of a prodigy in college."

"I believe it. My dad is really impressed with your work and he's unbelievably particular about everything. Do you like living in Pennsylvania?"

"I do. I was actually born in Philadelphia, but my family didn't live there for long before my dad got transferred to another Army base."

"Do you think you'll stay in Rosewood for a while?"

"I'd like to. It's nice here. Besides, I feel like I need a more permanent home. The four years I was in college at Texas Tech was the longest I'd ever lived in one place. My dad was given a permanent training position at the Army base in Fort Hood, unless of course, his unit is needed overseas."

"Moving so much must have been really tough on you as a kid."

"It was. I'd just start to get used to one school and new friends, then my parents would tell me to pack up because we were moving again. Eventually, I learned to just distance myself from people. I mean what's the point of letting yourself get close to people if you're just going to be shipped off to another city in six months? Part of the reason I love architecture so much is that buildings are stationary, once they're built, they're pretty much there to stay.

A moment later, the waitress returned with their orders.

"This one's yours." The waitress said, setting a plate down in front of Spencer. "And here's yours." She turned and set the second plate in front of Emily. "Is there anything else I can get for you two?"

Emily glanced across the table at Spencer, who shook her head.

"No, I think we're good. Thanks." Emily said.

"All right. I'll be back to check on you in a few minutes then." The waitress said, before walking off.

"Oh, I wanted to tell you…" Spencer said. "Thanks a lot for helping me with my hockey stance the other day, I've totally killed all of my shots in practice the last few days."

"I'm glad to hear it and I'm happy to help. How's school going for you?"

Spencer smiled to herself, she couldn't remember the last time her parents asked how things were at school.

"It's great. I really like school, I always have. I've been really busy though, I have all AP classes. In between homework, projects and hockey sometimes I feel like I barely have time to breathe."

"You must be keeping up pretty well if you took classes at U Penn over the summer."

"I work really hard to keep straight A's. My family has ridiculously high expectations…my parents are obsessed with me becoming a lawyer."

"I thought you said you wanted to study interior design." Emily said, recalling their previous conversation in the barn.

"I'd love to study interior design…but my dad doesn't think it's a practical career for me."

"Well…what do you think?"

"I don't know…I mean, it'd probably be a lot easier for me to get a job as an attorney, but I'm not sure that becoming a lawyer is what I want. Then again, I really don't want my parents to be disappointed in me…"

"Spencer…if you do everything in your life based on what other people want, the only person you'll end up disappointing is yourself."

"Maybe you're right."

"I know I am. Trust me, I've spent way too much time trying to please everyone but myself. You should do what ever you want to, don't worry about what your parents or anyone else thinks."

"Thanks, Emily."

"I should be thanking you."

"For what?"

"For keeping me company tonight, I'm sure you had a million other places you'd rather have been than here talking to me on a Friday night."

"Actually, I like talking to you."

"Really? Why's that?"

"You pay attention to me. You actually listen. No one else does. My family barely even knows I exist. My parents never come to my hockey games, or ask me how my day was, they don't even know where I am half of the time."

"Well, it's their loss for missing out. They've got an amazing daughter. They're lucky."

* * *

"Here's your check." The waitress said, placing the slip of paper down in the middle of the table.

"Thank you." Emily said.

Once the waitress had walked away, Emily picked up the check and looked at it. Spencer then pulled some money out of her pocket and handed it to Emily.

"Oh no, Spencer. Please, it's on me." Emily said, handing the bills back to the brunette.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely, I insist."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm gonna go pay for this." Emily said as she stood up. "I'll be right back."

After a few minutes, Emily returned to the table.

"You ready to go?" Emily asked.

"Yep." Spencer said, standing up.

Spencer and Emily both made their way to the front of the restaurant and out the door.

"Where did you park? I'll walk you to your car." Emily said.

"I actually walked here tonight."

"Then I'll drive you home."

"You don't have to do that. I don't want you to have to go out of your way for me. I can walk."

"What kind of person would I be if I let a young, pretty girl walk home by herself in the dark? Come on."

Spencer followed Emily across the parking lot to a small white car on the other side of the lot.

"You drive a Prius?" Spencer asked as she walked around to the passenger side of Emily's car and got in.

"Yeah. I feel really guilty about driving a diesel truck for work, so I felt like the least I could do for the environment was buy a hybrid."

"Are you going to be working at my house tomorrow?"

"Yeah, but I'm only working half a day tomorrow. I have plans tomorrow night."

"I hope it's not another blind date."

"It isn't." Emily laughed. "My church's youth group leader is sick, so I'm filling in for the evening."

"You really are something else, you know that?"

"I try."  
All too soon, Spencer found herself back in her own driveway, desperately not wanting to move from Emily's car.

"I had a really nice time with you tonight." Spencer said, looking over at Emily. "We should hang out again sometime soon."

"We should. I'm actually glad my date didn't show up."

As Spencer stared over at Emily, she wanted nothing more than for Emily to just lean over and kiss her. Emily would have been lying if she said the thought of kissing Spencer at that moment never crossed her mind. But nevertheless, Emily fought the urge as she and Spencer sat in silence for a few long moments.

"I…guess I should let you go." Spencer said as she swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Okay."

"Thanks again for dinner and the ride home."

"Don't mention it. Goodnight, Spencer."

"Goodnight." Spencer said as she opened the door and stepped out of the car.

Emily sat in her car, waiting to make sure Spencer got into the house safely. Once Spencer had disappeared into the house, Emily quietly drove off into the darkness.


	7. Chapter 7

Spencer closed the front door of the house and turned around, where she noticed her mother sitting in the kitchen with her sister.

"What the hell are you so happy about?" Melissa asked, referencing the fact that Spencer hadn't stopped smiling from ear to ear since she turned around.

"Nothing." Spencer said, quickly wiping the grin from her face.

"Where have you been?" Veronica asked.

"I told you I was going out." Spencer said. "You were sitting in the living room going through paperwork, but you were too busy to even listen to me."

"I'm sorry, honey. I'm just under a lot of stress right now."

"It's fine. I get it."

"Are you hungry? I can make you something to eat."

"I already ate…I'll be up in my room."

Spencer then walked out of the kitchen and disappeared upstairs. She walked into her bedroom, closed the door and flopped down on her bed. Spencer pulled her phone from her pocket and began composing a new text message, with Emily as the recipient. Spencer typed and erased numerous times, eventually deciding to trash the message altogether, not wanting to feel like she was bothering Emily. Spencer laid her phone down on the bed and placed both of her hands behind her head as she recounted every last detail of her evening with Emily. Spencer could feel her crush on Emily intensifying each day that she saw the architect and although Spencer didn't get the kiss that she so desperately desired, she was still happy to have been able to spend the time with Emily.

* * *

Late the next afternoon, Emily was kneeling on the ground, spreading some wood chips out around the barn, when Melissa stepped outside.

"This side over here looks a little thin." Melissa said, crossing her arms over her chest looking down at the ground. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"You're right." Emily said, glancing up at Melissa. "Not to worry, though. I'll be sure to take care of it right away, Miss Hastings."

"Good. You missed a spot over there too, you know." Melissa said, condescendingly as she pointed to the side of the barn.

Before Emily could respond, Melissa turned and walked across the yard, passing Spencer as she neared the house.

"Hi, Emily."

"Hey, Spencer. How's it going?" Emily said, standing up.

"Good, thanks. What did she say to you?"

"Who? Your sister?"

"Yeah, was she rude to you because if she was…"

"It's okay. She was just critiquing my work a little bit. There's nothing wrong with a little constructive criticism."

"I know my sister. She doesn't do constructive criticism."

"It's fine, really. She's the one that's going to be living here, so I need to do the work up to her standards. Is there something I can do for you or are you just out here enjoying the nice weather? It really turned out to be a gorgeous day."

"I actually came out to see if you wanted anything to eat or drink...I can make you something…"

"Thanks, but I'm fine." Emily smiled. "I actually need to pack up and get going here shortly."

Emily then reached into her pocket when she heard her phone chime. She opened her text messages and read over the one that she had just received.

"Crap." Emily sighed as she typed on her phone before placing it back into her pocket.

"What's wrong?" Spencer asked.

"The two people who were supposed to be helping me with tonight's youth group just canceled on me. I don't know if I can handle it by myself. Tonight's the younger group of kids."

"Do you not like kids?"

"It's not that at all. I love kids, I'm just not sure how well things will go, being just me left to handle a group of like fifteen six year-olds."

"Well...I'm free tonight, I could give you a hand."

"That's really sweet of you Spencer, but I could never ask you to do that for me."

"You never asked me to do anything. I'm volunteering."

"Are you sure you wouldn't mind?"

"I don't mind at all, I'd love to help you out. It might even be fun."

"Thank you so much. You're totally amazing." Emily said, placing her hand on Spencer's shoulder.

"No problem." Spencer smiled. "What time do you want me?"

"Youth group starts at six. I promise it'll be short."

"Do you want me to meet you at the church a little before six?"

"Sure...I mean unless you wanted to come by my place with me. I was just gonna run home and take a quick shower, then head to the church. We could go over together and I can bring you home afterward."

"Sure. That sounds great."

"In that case, just give me a few minutes to pack up my stuff and we'll get going."

"Okay. I'll be right back, I just wanna go grab my phone."

When Spencer returned and Emily had finished loading her truck, Emily walked over to the passenger side door and opened it for Spencer.

"Thanks." Spencer said as she climbed into Emily's huge candy apple red Dodge Ram truck.

"Be careful, my truck's kind of a pain to get in to."

Once Spencer was inside, Emily shut the door, walked around to the driver's side and got in.

"I like your truck. It's really nice."

"Thanks. My parents bought it for me right after I graduated college."

"That was really cool of them."

"Yeah, it was. I told them not to, because I knew it was really expensive, but they insisted."

"They probably couldn't help themselves, I'm sure they were just really proud of you."

"Thanks." Emily said, glancing over at Spencer.

"So...do you live far from here?" Spencer asked.

"No, I'm only about ten minutes away, just on the other side of town."

When they arrived at Emily's apartment, she parked her truck next to her Prius in the tenant parking lot. She and Spencer both got out and made their way to Emily's apartment. Emily unlocked the door and Spencer followed her inside. The apartment was much larger than Spencer had expected it would have been. It was very open and spacious between the kitchen and living room. There was also a small dining area, near the kitchen.

"I'm really sorry that my place is kind of a mess." Emily said, picking up a pair of jeans that were draped over the back of the chair in front of her desk. "I haven't had much time to clean lately."

"It's okay. I don't mind at all. You're obviously busy with work and everything."

"Why don't you go ahead and make yourself at home. I haven't been grocery shopping in a while, but if you're hungry, you can eat what ever you can find that isn't growing hair."

"I'm fine, thanks." Spencer laughed.

Emily laughed too.

"I'm gonna jump in the shower, I'll be quick."

"Take your time, no hurry."

Once Emily had disappeared into the bathroom, Spencer wandered throughout the apartment. She walked over to Emily's large, corner desk, half of which was taken up by Emily's desktop computer. The other half of the desk was cluttered, yet somewhat organized with multiple half-finished architectural drawings, house ware and tool catalogues and other paperwork. Spencer picked up a photo in a frame from the corner of the desk, near the computer monitor. The photo was of Emily standing in between a middle-aged man and woman who Spencer assumed were probably Emily's parents. Spencer placed the photo back on the desk and noticed Emily's degree from Texas Tech hanging on the wall above the desk. Spencer then focused her attention on the bookshelf, near the couch, which was packed full of books about building, architectural design, famous structures, home improvement and landscaping. A few books about interior design as well as a copy of the Bible. Spencer picked up a hard cover book about Roman architecture and began to flip through the full-page color photos. After about ten minutes, Emily walked out of the bathroom and was about to step into her bedroom, when she looked over and noticed Spencer standing near the bookshelf.

"Find something interesting?" Emily asked.

"Oh...yeah...I was just..." A slightly startled Spencer stuttered and almost dropped the book in her hands as she turned around to find Emily in just a bra, with a towel wrapped low around her waist.

Spencer immediately became distracted by the sight of Emily standing in front of her, half naked. Emily reached up and pulled her hair back into a pony tail as Spencer's eyes followed a few droplets of water as they cascaded down the raven-haired girl's neck and chest. Unable to help herself, Spencer's eyes slipped lower to Emily's toned abdominal muscles. Emily was in better shape than Spencer could have ever imagined and even the architect's impossibly tight t shirts that she wore to work didn't do her bare body nearly enough justice.

"This is one of my favorite books." Emily said, walking over to Spencer. "I really love Italian architecture."

The sound of Emily's voice snapped Spencer out of her thoughts.

"It's beautiful." Spencer said, forcing herself to look Emily in the eyes. "Have you read all of these books?" Spencer closed the book she was holding and placed it back on the book shelf.

"Yep. Some I've even read twice. If you're interested in interior designing, you should really take a look at this one." Emily pulled a book off of the shelf and handed it to Spencer. "There's a lot of great information in here. Why don't you take it home with you and read it over?"

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"So...what exactly do you do at youth group? I'm sorry, I'm just not really like a regular church-attending person, so I don't really know...I mean I believe in God and everything, don't get me wrong..."

"Relax, Spencer. It's cool. Church isn't for everyone. You can still believe without participating in organized religion. And even if you didn't believe in God, it doesn't mean I'd respect you any less. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs and opinions, I would never treat someone badly because their beliefs are different from my own."

*_Could you possibly be any more perfect?_* Spencer thought to herself.

"You're not like most of the Christians I know, everyone who goes to my country club thinks that going to church makes them a saint and gives them the right to judge everyone else...can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Well, even though I haven't been to church in forever, I know that a lot of Christians still aren't exactly big on being gay. Doesn't that bother you at all?"

"Luckily, everyone at my church has accepted me and pretty much welcomed me with open arms, but I know that, unfortunately there are people out there who will judge me and dislike me based only on my sexual orientation, but I don't let it get to me. God made me this way for a reason. I just pray for those people and hope that God will touch their hearts and make them realize that love is love, whether it be between two men, two women or a man and a woman, it doesn't make any difference, the feeling is still exactly the same."

"You're absolutely right. I just wish there weren't still so many closed-minded people in the world."

"I know. But look at it this way, things are changing, slowly but surely. Nowadays, for every one closed-minded person, there are probably two open-minded people willing to stand up for you. Oh and I never answered your other question…you wanted to know what we do at youth group. Usually with the younger kids, we read to them from the Bible, take a short snack break, then play some type of Bible related game, focusing on what we just learned. Youth group usually only lasts like and hour and a half."

"So…I'm gonna go put some clothes on, then we can leave. I'll be back in a minute." Emily said as she turned and walked toward the bedroom.

"You ready to go?" Emily asked when she returned a few minutes later.

"I'm ready if you are."

"Okay, let's get going, then. I don't want to be late."


	8. Chapter 8

Before I get to the new chapter, I'd like to write a quick AN to answer a question that someone asked.

Go-Sullivan:

You asked in the last chapter, why Emily is so big into organized religion in this fic.

You're right that religion hasn't really been brought up much in the show or my other fic for that matter, but since this one is an AU fic, we don't really know much about Emily and that opens the door for me to be a little bit more creative with her character. I'm essentially just exploring an opportunity to take her character in slightly different direction from the Emily that everyone is already familiar with. I mentioned that she had grown up in a Catholic military family, but this doesn't necessarily have anything to do with her past. Though we will find out a little bit more about Emily's past in the near future.  
-Fender18

* * *

When they got to the church parking lot, Emily shut the car off. She and Spencer both stepped out of the Prius and made their way toward the church.

"So...I won't like burst into flames or anything when I walk in there right? I can't even remember the last time I was in church."

"You'll be fine. I promise." Emily laughed.

Emily opened the door and allowed Spencer to walk inside first.

"The rec room is downstairs." Emily said. "Follow me."

It wasn't long before the first few kids were dropped off by their parents. After a few minutes, a little girl with dark hair pulled up into pig tails entered the room holding her mother's hand. Upon spotting Emily, the girl dropped her mother's hand, ran over to Emily and attached herself to the architect's leg.

"Hey, kiddo." Emily lifted the girl up into her arms. "How are you?" Emily asked, gently poking the girl in the stomach, causing her to giggle.

"Good."

"Hi, Emily." The girl's mother, a young brunette said, approaching the architect.

"Hey, Amanda. I didn't know you were bringing Lilly tonight." Emily said.

"Yeah. My mom's been pushing Josh and I to get into the habit of taking Lilly to church, so I figured youth group would be a good place to start with her. Are you in charge of it?"

"Sort of, well tonight anyway. I try to volunteer to help out a few times a month, but the regular youth group leader is sick, so I'm just kind of filling in for the evening. I guess we'll see how it goes."

Emily then turned toward Spencer.

"Amanda, this is my friend, Spencer, lucky for me, she was nice enough to volunteer to help me tonight."

"Spencer, this is Amanda. She's married to my cousin."

"Hi, it's nice to meet you." Spencer said, extending her hand to the woman.

"You too."

"Oh and this cutie is Lilly." Emily said.

"She's adorable." Spencer smiled at the five year old whose arms were wrapped tightly around Emily's neck.

"I'll tell you what, you're getting heavy, kid." Emily said, setting Lilly back down on the ground. "How do you like kindergarten?"

"It's fun." Lilly smiled.

"Oh yeah?" Emily said. "What's your favorite part?"

"I like art class and music and reading, but math is my favorite."

"She really loves her teacher too." Amanda said.

"That's great." Emily said.

"Mommy, can I go play with those kids?" Lilly asked pointing to a group of three girls across the room.

"Go ahead." Amanda said. "But when I leave, you behave for Emily, okay?"

"Kay."

"Hold on a second." Emily said. "Let me tie your shoe first."

Emily then knelt down to the ground and took the shoe laces in her hands.

"All right, there you go, sweetheart." Emily said.

"Thank you." Lilly said as she wrapped her arms around Emily's neck and hugged her.

"You're welcome."

Spencer smiled to herself as she watched the exchange between Emily and her cousin's daughter.

"Lilly's really grown attached to you." Amanda said.

"I've gotten pretty attached to her too. I love that little girl."

"Hey Emily, if you don't mind, I'm gonna go use the restroom before the rest of the kids get here." Spencer said.

"Sure. I'll be here when you get back." Emily smiled at Spencer.

"So...Spencer's pretty cute, Em. Is she just a friend or maybe something more..." Amanda asked.

"Not you too…" Emily said, shaking her head. "Spencer's just a friend."

"I take it your mom is still giving you a hard time about not seeing anyone?"

"It's not just her, it's everyone. But it's especially bad with my mom, she calls me all the time and I'm glad that we're keeping in touch, but she's constantly asking if I'm dating anyone, I say no, then she questions why. I feel like we just run in circles over and over again."

"My mom was the same way when I was single. Then when Josh and I had been dating for a while, she kept asking when we were getting married. It's just a mom thing. Don't let it get to you, Em. Your mom just loves you a lot and wants you to find someone."

* * *

Later that evening.

"Spencer, thanks so much for coming with me tonight." Emily said as she and Spencer walked out to Emily's car. "I really appreciate your help."

"You're welcome. I'm happy to help, but I'm sure you would have been fine on your own. You're amazing with kids.''

"Thanks."

When they got to the car, Emily walked over to the passenger side.

"Here, let me get that for you." Emily said as she opened the door for Spencer.

"Thanks." Spencer smiled. "How are you still single?" Spencer asked, running her hand down Emily's arm, before getting into the car.

Emily then walked around to the front of the car and got in.

"So…you wanna go get a cup of coffee or something, on me?" Emily asked. "If you don't have other plans, of course. Because if you do, it's okay. I can take you home."

Spencer looked down at her phone in her lap, which was vibrating to indicate that she had an incoming call from Hanna.

"I don't have any other plans. Coffee sounds great." Spencer said, pressing the decline call button on the phone.

After a few minutes of driving, Emily stopped at a small, local coffee shop.

"Is this place okay?" Emily asked, glancing over at Spencer.

"Sure. It's perfect."

Spencer and Emily both got out of the car and headed inside.

"How do like your coffee?" Emily asked.

"Black is perfect."

"Nice. I like a girl who likes it a little bitter."

Emily stepped up to the counter and order the coffee. Spencer leaned on the counter, staring longingly at Emily. Spencer was much too busy day dreaming to realize that Emily was asking her a question. Emily glanced over at the brunette beside her.

"Spencer? Are you okay?" Emily asked, placing her hand on the brunette's shoulder.

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Sorry, I just spaced out for a minute. Did you say something."

"I just wanted to know if you'd like doughnut or something?" Emily asked.

"A raspberry scone would be great, actually."

"You got it."

A few moments later the clerk returned with the coffee that Emily had ordered. Emily and Spencer then walked back outside and sat down on a large wooden bench outside of the coffee shop.

"Here you go." Emily said, handing one of the cups over to Spencer.

"This is yours too." Emily pulled a large raspberry scone out of the bag she was holding and gave it to Spencer.

"Thank you. This place totally has the best raspberry scones." Spencer said. "They're my all-time favorite."

"So…did you always know that you wanted to be an architect?" Spencer asked as she took a bite of the pastry in her hand.

"No. I had no idea what I wanted to do when I was younger. I told you that I came out to my mom when I was sixteen, after things got pretty tense between us, for the longest time I had felt kind of lost and alone. I actually thought a lot about joining the military, I thought maybe it could help me find the strength I was looking for, you know, being part of a team and everything."

"What changed your mind?"

"Well…I had talked to my mom about it and after she said that there was no way in hell she'd ever let her baby join the Army, that was the end of that. So…I began to explore other career options. I never really thought much about college, I considered finishing high school and becoming a carpenter. I had taken quite a few wood and metal shop classes in junior high, I knew I really liked working with my hands and building things was something that I was actually pretty good at. It was the first semester of my junior year of high school that I realized how much I wanted to be an architect."

"What happened? Did you have like a teacher or someone who encouraged you to do it?"

"Sort of. I scheduled a computer technology class focused on computer aided drafting. I thought it might be helpful for carpentry and it was, but I really loved it and I was good at it. My teacher told me I had a lot of talent and he thought I'd make an outstanding architect."

"He was right." Spencer smiled, placing her hand on Emily's knee.

"Thanks. So from there, I decided that I really wanted to go to college and I worked extra hard to get ahead."

"I guess everything worked out pretty well…around the time that we first met, I remember you telling me that you finished high school almost a year early."

"I did and I was lucky enough to get both an academic and athletic scholarship to pay for my tuition."

"What sport did you get the scholarship for?"

"It was for swimming."

"I think I remember you telling me that you were a swimmer."

"The scholarship was just an added bonus for me though. I swam because it was something that I loved to do. Being in the water always made me feel really free, I would have continued to swim even it was just for fun."

"Well, obviously you were good if they gave you a scholarship for it. Not to mention, I'm sure you looked great in a Speedo, you probably still do."

"Thanks." Emily blushed slightly. "That's sweet of you to say, especially since I've gained a few pounds since college."

"From what I saw today, you know, you in just a towel…I'd say you're in great shape. You've definitely got some pretty nice abs."

"Spencer Hastings. Did you just openly admit to checking out my abs?" Emily laughed.

"How could anyone possibly miss them?"

"It's good to know that I've got somewhat of edge, even over straight girls." Emily laughed again. "Thank you for that."

"No problem." Spencer said, raising her paper coffee cup to her lips.

"Hey, I almost forgot." Emily said. "I wanted to tell you to let your dad know that the countertops for the kitchen should be here by next week. Thursday at the latest."

"I'll let him know, if I even see him, between now and then, that is."

"You live together, why wouldn't you see him?"

"I hardly ever see either of my parents or if they're actually home, they're too busy working to even notice me. I asked my dad if he was coming to my hockey game next week and of course he said he's too busy. It's not even until Wednesday, that's four days away and he already says he's too busy. But somehow my mom and dad always manage to find time for my sister. And every time Melissa and I get into a fight, I always get blamed for starting it. It's annoying."

"I'm really sorry about your parents…"

"It's okay. It's not your fault my parents suck. At least my dad did one thing right though…"

"Which is?"

"He hired you, didn't he?" Spencer said, matter-of-factly.

* * *

Okay, so I hope you guys liked the update. They've certainly got some hardcore flirting going on now. Spencer really wants it bad, doesn't she? I'm the one writing this and even I'm to the point where I read this and I'm like come on, Spence, will you just kiss her already? Haha

Anyway, I know some people have been asking for longer chapters and I'm really trying to make them longer, but I've been really busy with work lately so I'm just trying to put out what I can, when I can. So don't hate me. I'll try to start making longer updates, though.

-Fender18


	9. Chapter 9

Early Monday morning.

Spencer had been in her room getting dressed when she heard a car outside of her house. Spencer walked over to her bedroom window and pulled back the curtain to find Emily's truck pulling into her driveway. Spencer quickly finished getting dressed and looked into her full-length mirror. She fixed her hair countless times over the next few minutes and when she was finally satisfied with the way her hair looked, Spencer pulled on a pair of black, nearly knee-high Tory Burch boots. She then inched her skirt up higher and higher, showing off as much of her legs as she possibly could. Spencer then took one last look in the mirror, tossed her brunette locks back over her shoulder and made her way downstairs, where she found Emily alone in the kitchen, as the rest of her crew had yet to arrive.

"Hey, Emily." Spencer said as she walked into the kitchen.

"Hey." Emily turned around to face Spencer.

Emily's gaze slowly wandered from Spencer's face, down to her legs. After a few long moments, Emily caught herself staring and quickly refocused her attention.

"I'm glad I caught you before you left for school."

"You are?" Spencer asked, grinning brightly.

"Yeah. I have something for you."

Emily then reached into a bag, which was sitting on the kitchen island. She pulled out a box, containing six large raspberry scones.

"I hope you haven't had breakfast yet." Emily said, opening the box. "These were just out of the oven, when I walked into the coffee shop this morning, so they should be good."

"You brought me raspberry scones?"

"Yeah. I just wanted to say thanks again for helping me out the other night. You said these were your favorite, so I picked some up on the way here." Emily said, holding the box out to Spencer. "Go ahead, have one."

"I'd love one." Spencer said, reaching into the box. "But you really didn't have to do this."

"I wanted to."

"Well, thank you and now you have to sit down here and eat with me." Spencer smiled. "I'm gonna get some coffee to go with this. Can I get you some?"

"Sure. That'd be great, actually."

Spencer walked over to the cabinet, found two mugs and filled them with the rest of the coffee that her parents had left.

"I guess we'll have to sit in the living room." Spencer said. "Since the kitchen's still kind of a mess.

"Sorry about that. It's tough trying to do a remodel when people are using a particular room everyday."

"It's okay. I wasn't blaming you at all." Spencer said, handing a mug to Emily. "I think you're doing a fantastic job."

"Thank you...for the coffee and the compliment." Emily said as she sat down beside Spencer on the couch.

"You're welcome...so where's the rest of your crew?"

"They should be here soon, I hope anyway. They're always late."

"Is the coffee all right?" Spencer asked. "I can make a fresh pot..."

"No, this is perfect, thanks. And I can definitely see why these scones are your favorite. They're amazing."

"I can't believe you actually brought me breakfast. You're pretty much the sweetest, most thoughtful person I've ever met. This is really nice, having breakfast with you sure beats having breakfast in the school cafeteria."

"It is, nice isn't it? This is much better than sitting alone in my apartment eating corn flakes, while I read the back of the cereal box for the millionth time."

Spencer just smiled softly at Emily and stared into her eyes. Spencer inadvertently moved closer to Emily on the couch. Spencer desperately tried to work up enough courage to kiss Emily, though she couldn't be sure how Emily would respond. Spencer swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. Just as Spencer leaned forward, Emily's crew noisily burst through the door.

"Wow, they're actually on time for once." Emily looked down at her watch.

"Great." Spencer grumbled, under her breath; angry that the moment was now ruined. "I guess I should get to school." Spencer sighed.

"And I should probably start working. Can I at least rinse out my coffee mug?"

"Don't worry about it. You can just put it in the sink. I'll get it later." Spencer said, picking up her book bag. "Thank you for breakfast."

"You're very welcome. I guess I'll see you later."

"Okay. Bye." Spencer gave Emily a small smile before heading out the door.

* * *

Wednesday afternoon.

It was late afternoon on Wednesday when Emily decided to take a short break from work. After letting her crew know that she was leaving, Emily got into her truck and drove across town to Rosewood high school to watch some of Spencer's hockey game. Emily parked her truck and walked around to the field in back of the school. When Emily arrived the game was already into the second half and the score was tied. Emily looked out across the grass and spotted Spencer, who was running hard down the field while still maintaining good control of the ball. When she was close enough to the net, Spencer pulled her stick back and swung at the ball; making strong, solid contact, Spencer was able to sneak the ball past the goalie and into the net. Emily stayed for the remainder of the game, to watch Spencer score another goal, helping Rosewood to secure a win. Although Spencer always dedicated one hundred percent of her energy into her games and she was happy about winning, it still disappointed her that her family never showed up to watch. Spencer wiped the sweat from her forehead and slowly walked over to the bench to retrieve her water bottle.

"Hey Spencer." Emily said, approaching the bench. "Nice game."

Spencer's head snapped up when she heard Emily's voice.

"Emily?" Spencer smiled, obviously thrilled to see the architect. "What are you doing here?"

"I took a break from work to come see you play. Since your dad couldn't make it I figured you should have at least one fan here to support you."

"You're amazing. Thanks for coming." Spencer said as she wrapped her arms around Emily.

"No problem." Emily said, returning the embrace. "Besides, I wanted to make sure that you're still following the advice I gave you."

"Of course I am. It's working like a charm. I didn't even see you during the game. How long have you been here?"

"I saw most of the second half and I'm not surprised you didn't notice me, you were way too busy tearing up the field. I just wish I could have seen the whole game."

"Emily, you even showing up at all is amazing. It really means a lot to me. Thank you."

"No problem. I should really be getting back to work. Congratulations on your win, though. Maybe I can even make it to your next game."

"That would be great."

* * *

Later that evening, Emily had been sitting at her desk doing some drafting on her computer when she heard a knock at the door. Emily leaned back in her chair and stretched before getting up to answer the door. When Emily opened the door, she unexpectedly found her mother standing on the other side.

"Mom? Hi." Emily leaned in and hugged the tan-skinned woman standing on her door step.

"Hi honey. How are you?"

"I'm fine." Emily said, surprised, yet happy to see her mother. "How are you?"

"Great." Pam kissed Emily on the cheek, before stepping back to get a better look at her daughter. "And look at you…I can't believe how gorgeous you are. I'm absolutely certain that you get more beautiful every time I see you."

"Thanks mom." Emily smiled. "Come inside."

"So…why didn't you tell me you were coming?" Emily asked as she and Pam both walked into the living room of Emily's apartment. "I could have picked you up at the airport."

"I'm sorry for just dropping in like this, but I wanted to surprise you."

"Well, I'm definitely surprised all right. It's so great to see you. How's dad doing?"

"He's fine. He's just sorry he couldn't make it up to see you this time."

"It's okay. I know he's really busy with work."

"Speaking of work, you must be keeping yourself busy. It doesn't look like you've had much time to clean your apartment."

"No, I haven't." Emily laughed. "The remodel I'm working on has been taking up most of my time, but the money's great, so I can't really complain too much."

"I'm glad to hear that. Now, if we can just fix your romantic situation, you'll be all set."

"Mom…I've told you before, I'm not really looking for a girlfriend right now."

"I know, but I just don't understand. You're beautiful, smart, you have a good job. There must be a thousand girls in this town who would kill to date you."

"Believe it or not, every woman isn't attracted to me, besides, I'm fine with being single. I'm too busy for a girlfriend anyway…so can we talk about something else?"

"All right, all right. Have you eaten dinner yet? I can cook something."

"I don't really have any food here, but I'd be happy to take you out to dinner."

"That sounds wonderful. Let's go."

* * *

The next afternoon, Emily was working outside of the Hastings house, planting some small shrubbery near the barn. It was unusually warm for a September afternoon and Emily's t shirt was now drenched in sweat and clinging tightly to chest and midsection. Emily reached up and wiped the sweat from her forehead with her arm. She then took off the gloves she was wearing and pulled her wet, sticky t shirt up over her head to reveal the white tank top that she had on underneath. Emily dropped the t shirt to the ground next to her, put her gloves back on and continued working. A few minutes later, Emily heard someone call her name, she turned around to see her mother walking across the Hastings' yard with a brown paper bag in her hand.

"Mom, what are doing here?"

"I just wanted to make sure you had something for lunch." Pam said, handing Emily the bag in her hand. "I don't want you eating greasy fast food all the time."

"Thanks, mom." Emily said as she stood up. "But how'd you know this is where I was working?"

"Last night at dinner you mentioned that you were working at a house in Bridgewater Terrace, so I found the neighborhood and drove around until I saw your truck."

"Well, thank you."

"You're welcome, sweetheart."

"Why don't you give me that shirt?" Pam said, pointing to Emily's t shirt that was lying on the ground. "I'll throw it in the wash with some of your other laundry when I get back to your apartment."

"Mom, you really don't have to do that. I'm twenty three now, I can handle doing my own laundry. I do it all the time."

"Honey, you're busy. While you're working, I don't mind doing things for you. Oh and make sure you come straight home after work. I went grocery shopping and I'm going to make you a nice dinner."

"Thanks, mom. I'll probably be home around seven." Emily said as she bent down and picked her t shirt up off of the ground.

"I see you still have that tattoo." Pam said, looking at the large cross on Emily's shoulder when she bent down.

"Well, yeah. It doesn't just wash off." Emily laughed as she stood up and handed the shirt to her mother.

"You didn't get any more, did you?"

"No. This is the only one."

"Good. Make sure you keep it that way."

"Oh come on, mom. You know you like my tattoo." Emily smirked. "Admit it."

"I'm not crazy about tattoos, but if you had to get one, I'm at least glad it's a religious symbol. You are still going to church aren't you?"

"Of course I am. Every Sunday."

"Okay. Just checking."

A few moments later, Spencer walked into the yard, as she was returning home from school.

"Hi, Spencer." Emily said. "This is my mom, she's in town visiting me for a few days."

"Mom, this is Spencer Hastings. I'm working on this project for her family."

"Pam Fields." Pam said, extending her hand to Spencer. "It's nice to meet you."

"You too." Spencer shook Pam's hand. "You know, Emily's really good at what she does. My family has been really impressed with her work so far."

"I'm happy to hear that. Have you two known each other for very long?"

"Not really." Emily said. "We just met recently, when I started working here."

"I definitely feel like I've known Emily for a lot longer, though. She's really sweet."

"Yes, she is and cute too, isn't she?" Pam smiled patting Emily's cheek.

"Mom, stop." Emily rolled her eyes.

"She's single, you know." Pam smiled, looking at Spencer.

"I know, but I don't really understand why. Emily's a total catch." Spencer said.

"That's what I keep telling her." Pam said. "But she doesn't listen. Spencer, if you don't mind me asking, how old are you, sweetheart?"

"I'm eighteen."

"Mom, please don't..." Emily mumbled.

"Eighteen? Hhmm, you're a bit on the young side for Emily…"

"Okay, mom…" Emily said as a dark shade of red crept over her face. "Thanks for lunch. But, I really do need to get back to work. I'll see you later."

"All right, honey. I've got a lot of cleaning to do anyway. Especially, since you seem to think that your bedroom floor doubles as a laundry basket."

Pam and Spencer both laughed.

"Now, do you have anything hidden at your apartment that you want to confess to before I start cleaning? Any dirty magazines, movies…"

"God." Emily's skin turned an even deeper shade of red. "No, mom. I don't have anything like that, I swear."

"Good. I'll see you after work, then. I love you." Pam kissed Emily on the forehead and turned to look at Spencer. "It was nice meeting you, Spencer."

"You too."

Pam balled up Emily's t shirt in her hand and turned to leave. Once she had walked out of the yard, Spencer turned to Emily.

"If you need to run home and get rid of anything, before your mom finds it, I promise not to tell." Spencer laughed.

"She could turn my whole apartment inside out and she still wouldn't find anything…listen Spencer, I'm really sorry about my mom putting you on the spot. She thinks that every girl should be attracted to me, even straight ones."

"I think your mom's totally adorable."

"You do?"

"Sure. She's obviously proud of you. It's super cute."

"Well…I uh, really should get back to planting these shrubs. It looks like it might rain."

"Okay. I've got a lot of homework, anyway. But, I'll be in the living room. Just let me know if you need anything."

"Thanks, Spencer."


	10. Chapter 10

Later that evening when Emily walked into her apartment, she found her mother in the kitchen working on preparing dinner.

"Hi, honey. How was the rest of your day at work?"

"It was all right. I got a lot done. What are you making? It smells amazing."

"Pot roast. I really hope you're hungry."

"I'm starving."

"Great. Dinner will be ready shortly."

"Okay. I'm gonna go take a shower then."

"Why don't you take this off." Pam said, tugging at Emily's tank top. "I'll throw it in the wash with your other whites."

"Okay." Emily then pulled her tank top up over her head and handed it to her mother.

"Go ahead and take your shower, I just put some clean towels out in the bathroom."

"Thanks, mom."

* * *

When Emily got out of the shower, she walked into her bedroom and got dressed.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Emily asked, walking back into the kitchen.

"You could set the table for me."

"Okay."

Emily gathered some silverware and two plates from the cabinet. She then went into the dining room and set both of the plates and silverware out on the table. A few minutes later Pam walked into the dining room and set the food out on the table.

"Everything looks and smells great mom, thanks for cooking."

"You're welcome, sweetheart." Pam said as she placed a large piece of meat on to Emily's plate.  
"I'm really glad you came to visit. I miss you and dad a lot."

"We miss you too." Pam said, sitting down at the table across from Emily. "You know, you can always come back to Texas with me. Your father and I would love to have you move back home."

"Every time I talk to you, you try to get me to come back to Texas." Emily smiled. "As much as I really do miss you guys, I like living here."

"Don't you ever get lonely living here all alone?"

"Sometimes, but I usually keep myself pretty busy."

"So…"

"So…what?" Emily asked, looking up at her mother.

"Is is just me or did I sense a little something between you and Spencer today?"

"I thought you said she was too young for me." Emily said, lifting a forkful of mashed potatoes to her mouth.

"I'd prefer for you to see someone a little older, but I can work with eighteen. Why don't you take Spencer out on a date? She's seems sweet and she seems to like you."

"She likes me as a friend, but that's it. Spencer's straight and even if she was gay, she'd never be interested in me anyway."

"What would make you think that?"

"Girls like her don't go for people like me. She's young, she'll be going to college next year and I'm already out of school with a full-time job. She'd never go for a blue-collar working stiff like me. Besides, she's a client's daughter, it's a conflict of interest. By the way, please don't ever hit on any girls for me again."

"I'm sorry, Emily, I just can't help showing off my sweet, single and very eligible daughter. Any girl in this town would be lucky to go out on your arm."

"I appreciate that you love me so much and you like showing me off, but it's embarrassing having my mom try to hook me up; especially with straight girls…I know that you think every girl on the planet should fall hopelessly in love with me at first sight, but that's just not how it works."

* * *

Later that night, Emily was in her bedroom, looking for something to wear to bed. She opened her top dresser drawer to look for a pair of pajama pants.

"Hey, mom?" Emily called out. "Have you seen my black pajama pants? The ones with the Texas Tech logo on them."

"Here they are." Pam said walking into the bedroom with a laundry basket in her hands. "I washed them."

"Thanks."

"Put the rest of these clothes away for me, okay?"

"All right."

Emily picked up a few pairs of socks out of the laundry basket and opened the top drawer of her dresser.

"Mom, what happened to the photo I had here in this drawer?"

"Which photo?"

"You know exactly which photo I mean. There was a photo of Stephanie in here. It was in the top drawer of my dresser, under my socks. What did you do with it?"

"Oh that one." Pam sighed. "I moved it when I was putting away some of your laundry earlier this afternoon.

"Well, where did you put it?"

"I put it in the bottom drawer of your nightstand, but I should have just thrown it away. You need to get over her, Emily."

"I know and I'm trying, but it's not that easy, mom. Stephanie and I were together for over three years, she wasn't just a girlfriend, she was my fiancée. I know you never liked her, but can you please try to understand that it still hurts?"

"I liked the girl just fine, until she cheated on you and got herself pregnant."

Emily's mind then began to wander off. She thought about nearly two years prior, sitting in the hospital with her girlfriend.

_"Is she going to be all right?" Emily stood up and looked at the attending physician, a light-haired middle-aged man, who had been taking care of Emily's girlfriend in the emergency room._

_"Your girlfriend will be fine."_

_"Why is she so sick then?"_

_"What's wrong with me?" Stephanie, a nineteen year old, petite blonde asked as she sat up in bed._

_The doctor then walked over to the bed and placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder._

_"Stephanie…the reason you've been feeling so sick lately is because you're pregnant."_

_Stephanie's expression went completely blank and she averted her eyes from both Emily and the doctor._

_"She can't be pregnant...check your test again." Emily said. "It has to be wrong..."_

_"I did run the test twice to be sure. It came out positive both times and it's quite clear on the abdominal ultrasound. It looks like she's just about two months along."_

_"But that's not possible." Emily said. "The only way would be…" Emily turned around and looked at her girlfriend. "Steph..."_

_"You two obviously have a lot to talk about." The doctor said. "I'll give you some privacy. Take all the time you need."_

_When the doctor had left the room, Emily walked over to the bed and sat down next to her girlfriend._

_"Stephanie. Is there something you want to tell me?" Emily asked._

_"Emily, I'm so sorry…" The blonde said, tears now streaming down her cheeks. "I never meant for this to happen."_

_"Who's the father?" Emily closed her eyes, still trying to process everything that was happening._

_"My ex boyfriend…remember that weekend you went out of town to visit your grandparents? Well…I was bored and decided to hang out with some friends, but I was stupid and had way too much to drink, I ran into my ex, one thing led to another and the next thing I knew I woke up next to him in the morning with an awful hangover…I'm sorry…I made a huge mistake…I wanted to tell you…but I didn't want to hurt you…I wish I could just take it all back. I love you, I don't why I did what I did…God, I don't know what I'm gonna do…I can't raise a baby on my own…"_

_"You don't have to." Emily said, taking her girlfriend's hand. "I want you to keep the baby. You'll be okay. I'll help you through this."_

_"You'll stay with me?"_

_"I still love you, Stephanie. And it's definitely going to take a lot to get our relationship back on track, but I'm willing to work on our relationship. I promise, I won't leave you. I'll take care of you. We can get married and I'll adopt the baby, we'll raise it together."_

_"I love you so much, Emily." Stephanie wrapped her arms around Emily and cried into her shoulder. "You're the most amazing person in this entire world. I don't deserve someone as perfect as you are…"_

_"Sshh…" Emily gently rubbed her girlfriend's back. "We'll talk about this later."_

_It had been a few weeks since discovering her girlfriend's pregnancy before Emily had worked up enough courage to tell her parents._

_"Absolutely not, Emily." Pam said, sternly. "There's no way I'll let you take responsibility for her mistake. You didn't make that baby, it isn't your problem to worry about."_

_"Mom, Stephanie and I are going to get married as soon as I finish school."_

_"Say something, Wayne." Pam, elbowed her husband in the ribs. _

_"Emily, are you sure, this is what you want?" Her father asked. "A baby is lifelong commitment and you have so much going on right now..."_

_"I know dad…but I still love Stephanie. I've forgiven her and I want to be there to support her. "_

_"This girl was unfaithful to you…" Pam said. "How can you be so forgiving?"_

_"I believe that everyone deserves a second chance. She made one mistake, I won't throw away our whole relationship because Stephanie made one bad decision. She's scared and she needs me. I'm almost finished with school, I'll get a job and I'll be able to take care of her. We'll be fine." _

_"When you told me that you were gay, I thought that an unplanned pregnancy was at least the one thing that I wouldn't have to worry about…"_

_"Mom, I would have eventually proposed to Stephanie anyway, you're just getting your first grandchild a little sooner than expected. But the fact of the matter is that it's my life and I'm choosing to stick by Stephanie. I just hope that you'll choose to love and accept this baby, just like I plan to." _

Emily was then brought back to the present by the sound of her mother's voice.

"I really don't understand why you're still hung up on this girl. You were there for her throughout her entire pregnancy and when the baby was born, you treated him as if he were your own, as did your father and I, only to have Stephanie take off with the baby two weeks before you were supposed to be married. Do you believe that if she hadn't ended up pregnant, she would have ever admitted to cheating on you at all?"

"I really don't know, I've asked myself that question a million times…maybe she would, maybe she wouldn't have, maybe we'd still be together right now. I have no idea, but I was in love with her...listen mom, I really don't want to have this argument right now, okay? I just want to go to bed, I have to be up early tomorrow for work."

"Emily, I'm sorry." Pam said, placing her hand on her daughter's cheek. "I just don't want to see one woman ruin you…I know you've been through a lot and I'm sorry for pushing you so hard, all I want is for you to settle down with a nice girl who actually appreciates how wonderful you are."

"I know, but I'm still young. I've got plenty of time to find someone and I know that I will. You don't have to worry so much about me, I'll be fine."

"Emily, I'm your mother and even though you're an adult, I'll always worry about you. It's my job."

Emily smiled and leaned in to hug her mother.

"I love you, mom."

"I love you too."

* * *

Spencer slowly rolled over in her own bed and opened her eyes, to find that Emily was lying next to her and they were both completely naked.

"Morning." Emily said, moving closer to Spencer and wrapping her arms around the brunette. "Last night was amazing, wasn't it?"

"It was great." Spencer smiled. "You were great."

"Your parents aren't home, what do you say we give it another go?"

Emily then rolled over on top of Spencer and leaned down to kiss the brunette.

"That sounds amazing." Spencer smirked and placed her hand behind Emily's head, pulling the darker-haired girl down on top on her.

Emily gently began kissing Spencer's neck and chest.

"Emily." Spencer moaned as she felt the architect's hands travel all over her naked body.

Emily's lips made contact with Spencer's again. Spencer closed her eyes and writhed on the bed as she felt Emily's hand come to rest over her center. A moment later, Spencer's eyes snapped open and she looked over at her phone on the night stand, which was ringing. Upon waking up, Spencer realized that she was covered in sweat, with her hand in between her legs. Spencer tentatively slipped two of her fingers into her own body and groaned when she felt herself wet. Spencer then heard her phone begin ringing again, fighting the strong urge to masturbate, Spencer rolled over and picked up the phone from her nightstand to see that Hanna was calling her. Annoyed, Spencer pressed the ignore button and practically slammed the phone back down on the night stand.

"Fuck." Spencer groaned as she pulled her blanket up over her head, though she knew that she needed to get up as she had already slept in later than usual for a school day.

After a few moments of lying underneath her blanket, replaying her dream in her head, Spencer hesitantly threw her blanket off of her body and got out of bed. She opened her door and slowly trudged off down the hallway to the bathroom.

* * *

That afternoon at school, Spencer had been sitting at a table with Aria and Hanna in the school's court yard at lunch time.

"So…where's Alison?" Hanna asked.

"I'm not sure." Aria said. "I haven't seen her all morning."

At this point, Spencer was too busy daydreaming about Emily to contribute much to the conversation this afternoon.

"Spence? Is everything okay?" Aria asked. "You're pretty quiet today."

"I'm fine…"

"Is something bugging you?" Hanna asked. "You didn't answer your phone this morning and you haven't really been yourself lately."

"I…uh…just have a lot on my mind."

"Well do you wanna talk about it?" Aria asked.

"Can I ask you guys kind of a weird question?" Spencer said.

"What is it?" Aria asked.

"You guys have to promise not to make fun of me, okay?"

"You know we won't." Aria said. "What's the question?"

"Well…have either of you ever thought about what it would be like to be with another girl?"

"You mean like sex?" Hanna asked.

"Not necessarily, I just mean in general...like dating and stuff."

"I might kiss a girl, just for fun." Hanna said. "But I don't think I could ever date another girl…way too many emotions."

"Spence, something tells me this isn't just a hypothetical question." Aria said, placing her hand on top of Spencer's. "Are you trying to tell us something? Do you think you might be gay?"

"I'm not sure…I mean…I've been questioning for a long time…I'm a little confused, I guess."

"Spence, you know it's okay if you like girls. We'd never have a problem with you being gay or bisexual or whatever." Hanna said. "It doesn't matter to us who you're attracted to."

"Yeah." Aria agreed. "All we care about is that you're with someone who treats you well. You didn't have to wait so long to tell us."

"Thanks guys, I'm just not really sure what I am right now…I mean I know I'm attracted to some girls, but I still look at guys sometimes…"

"That's okay." Aria said. "No one's making you label yourself. There's nothing wrong with experimenting a little bit before picking a side."

"She's right. And now you've got twice as many people to hook up with."

"Thanks, Han." Spencer laughed. "Can you guys do me a favor and not tell Alison about this?" Spencer asked. "I know she'll make fun of me and I'm really not in the mood to deal with her crap right now."

"No problem, Spence." Aria said.

"I won't say a word." Hanna nodded. "So…let's get down to business here…is there someone in particular you like?"

"I don't know…" Spencer blushed.

"Look at her blush. Aw, Spence, you do like someone, don't you?" Hanna chuckled.

"Well…there is this one girl…"

"Who is it?" Hanna asked. "Is it that cute blonde on your hockey team because you could totally hit that…"

"No…Han. It's not her."

"Does she go to school here?" Aria asked.

"She's not in high school."

"Now, I'm really curious." Aria said. "Did you have class together at U Penn over the summer or something?"

"You have a thing for a college girl, huh?" Hanna smiled. "I'm not surprised."

"No, she's not in college either. She's the architect that's working on the remodel of my house."

"She's not like old, is she?" Hanna asked.

"Not at all, she's only twenty three."

"Oh, okay. Good."

"What's she like?" Aria asked.

"Well her name's Emily and she's gorgeous. She's got long, black hair and these beautiful dark brown eyes that are so easy to get lost in…and she has like the most incredible body too. Every day she wears these really tight t shirts to work and you can totally see every single ridiculously hard muscle, but she's not just hot. Emily's literally like the sweetest, most genuine person I've ever met in my entire life. She goes to church every Sunday and she's great with kids…she even drives a Prius because she cares about the environment. She's just perfect."

"Aw, Spence." Hanna said. "You really like her, don't you?"

"I do…I can't help it. I love talking to her too, she actually listens to me and seems to care about what I have to say. Ever since I met her, I haven't been able to stop thinking about her…and I keep having these dreams…"

"Sex dreams?" Hanna smirked.

"Yeah." Spencer blushed. "It's not like I mean for it to happen, I just can't control it and it's driving me totally crazy. God…now you guys probably think I'm a total perv."

"We don't think that, Spence. Apparently, she's hot and you're horny. No big deal."

"So…do you know if she's gay?" Aria asked.

"Yeah, I know she is."

"Great, that's one obstacle out of your way." Aria said. "Why don't you ask her out?"

"I really want to and I've been trying to flirt with her…like a lot."

"Does she flirt back?" Hanna asked.

"She seems to, a little bit at least, but I don't know if I'm just mistaking her being nice for flirting…"

"Are you sure she's single?" Hanna asked.

"Positive. Her friends keep trying to hook her up with people and she's said that she's not looking for a girlfriend and the more I think about it, the more I realize that don't want to be the one to make the first move and get shot down…but I guess it doesn't really even matter, it's not like she'd ever date a high school kid anyway…"

"You never know, Spence." Aria said. "Just give it time, get to know each other."

The girls were then interrupted by the sound of bell, signaling that their lunch period was over.

"Crap…we should get to class." Aria said, standing up. "Come on, Han."

"We can talk more, later." Hanna said. "And I totally wanna meet this hottie you're crushing on, by the way."

Spencer smiled.

"Thanks for being cool, guys." Spencer said, gathering her belongings from the table. "I'll see you later."

"Bye, Spence." Hanna and Aria both said as they began walking off in the opposite direction from Spencer.

* * *

I hope you guys all enjoyed the update. I know some of you have mentioned that you'd like to see more of Emily's point of view and I did give you a little insight in this chapter, but you will start to see more of her thoughts and feelings. I know I hadn't written much of her POV and I did that on purpose because we hadn't really explored much of Emily's relationship history, but now that we've learned a little bit about her past, we'll start to see more of how Emily feels about Spencer as they continue to interact with each other. As always, thanks so much for your reviews and comments. I appreciate them. :)

-Fender18


	11. Chapter 11

Early on Saturday morning, Emily rolled over on her couch and stretched out her muscles. Emily spent the next few minutes, lying on her back. She inhaled the scent of breakfast, coming from the kitchen. Emily certainly didn't mind having her mother cook for her these past few days. Once Emily felt somewhat awake, she swung her legs over the side of the couch and stood up. She ran a hand through her hair and slowly walked toward the kitchen, where her mother was standing over the stove.

"Morning, sweetheart." Pam said

"Morning." Emily yawned.

"Are you working today, honey?"

"Yeah, I have to get going here pretty soon. I've got kind of a busy day ahead of me. I'm going to be installing kitchen counter tops pretty much all day."

"Then you'll need to have a good breakfast before you leave. You have time to eat, right? I'm making blueberry pancakes."

"There's always time for pancakes." Emily chuckled. "But, I'm gonna go get ready for work, first."

* * *

Spencer had been sitting in her living room with her laptop that morning when Emily walked in the door.

"Good morning." Emily said, walking by the couch, where Spencer was sitting.

"Morning." Spencer smiled as Emily walked over to her crew, who were in the kitchen.

"Hey, guys. Sorry I'm a little late."

"No problem, Em." Chris said.

"I guess we should get started, can one of you guys help me carry in the new counter tops from my truck?"

"We'll go get them." Ben said, motioning to himself and Mike, who was standing beside him.

"Thanks, guys. Please be careful with them. It's imported Italian marble."

"You got it, boss." Mike said before he and Ben disappeared out the door.

"Chris, can you do me a flavor and get the door for those two?" Emily said, buckling her tool belt around her waist. "I'm gonna start on the island here."

"Sure, Em."

"Thanks."

Emily then pulled a utility knife out of her pocket and began cutting through the seal that anchored the countertops to the wood underneath. After a few minutes, Ben and Mike returned and set the new countertops down on floor. Spencer sat on the couch, peering over her computer screen at Emily, only pretending to type, if Emily happened to look up. Emily continued to work her knife around the edges of the kitchen island; when she eventually reached the other side, Emily flipped the knife shut. As Emily was about to slip the knife back into her pocket, she accidentally dropped it onto the kitchen floor. Spencer's eyes slowly sunk down to Emily's backside as the architect bent over to retrieve the knife. Spencer wondered if Emily had any idea as to how good her butt looked in her worn out dark-wash jeans.

"Here, Em." Chris said. "You lift up on that side and I'll get this side. I think we can probably get this old counter off without having to use the floor jack."

Spencer silently watched from across the room as Emily and Chris lifted the old counter up and off of the cabinets.

"Where are we putting this?" Chris asked.

"Let's just turn it on its side and lean it against the back side of the island here, where it'll be out of the way. We can get rid of it later."

Emily and Chris both walked the old countertop over to the other side of the island and carefully set it down on the floor. Spencer was very much impressed by Emily's strength, as the architect didn't even break a sweat when lifting the heavy granite counter top.

"Did the factory cut the new counter tops to size or do we need to do it?" Ben asked.

"I gave the manufacturer the exact dimensions, so I'll probably only need to do some minor sanding."  
"Cool." Mike said. "Em, do you think we could maybe finish up a little early today? I have a date tonight and I was hoping to have enough time to get home and take a shower before I go out."

"Sure. Installing these counters is really all I have planned for today. As long as everything goes smoothly, I really doubt it'll take us the whole day. But, even if it does, I can always finish up on my own. You guys have been working really hard lately, I guess I could let you cut out early once."

"Thanks, Em. You're a totally awesome boss." Mike said.

"I do what I can." Emily smiled.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Emily's crew decided to take a lunch break, though Emily had opted to stay behind and remove the kitchen sink to prepare to replace the counter and install the new sink. Emily opened the cabinet doors underneath the sink and knelt down. She pulled a wrench from her tool belt and began to disconnect the water line from the faucet, only to be unexpectedly sprayed by a stream of water from the pipe.

"Son of a b…" Emily groaned as she reached for the shut off valve, next to the pipe.

"Damn it." Emily backed out of the space underneath the sink and wiped the excess water from her now soaked t shirt.

"Is everything okay?" Spencer asked, walking into the kitchen.

"Yeah. Everything's fine." Emily stood up. "I told one of my guys to shut off the water, but apparently he forgot. I guess it's my fault for not checking..."

"Hold on a second. I'll go grab you a towel."

When Spencer returned to the kitchen, she handed Emily a white, fluffy towel.

"Thank you." Emily said as she took the towel from Spencer and patted her face dry.

"You're welcome."

Although Spencer felt sorry for Emily at the moment, she couldn't help but love the way the architect's t shirt now clung even more tightly to her body.

"Your shirt's totally soaked. If you want, I could throw it in the dryer for you."

"That would be great. Thanks, Spencer."

Emily reached down, grasped her shirt from the bottom and pulled it up over her head.

"No problem." Spencer did her best to conceal a smirk as she watched Emily take her shirt off in the middle of the kitchen.

Spencer's eyes quickly darted from Emily's black sports bra, down her stomach as she reached out and took the shirt from the raven-haired girl in front of her.

"I'll uh...go throw this in the dryer. I'll be right back."

Spencer turned and walked out of the kitchen and into the laundry room. She tossed Emily's t shirt into the dryer along with a fabric softener sheet and turned the machine on the lowest setting possible, ensuring that she would be able to maximize her time allowance to enjoy a shirtless Emily. When Spencer returned to the kitchen, she found Emily lying on her back underneath the sink, as she continued to take apart the sink. Spencer walked over to the sink and gently kicked the bottom of Emily's boot with the toe of her sneaker.

"What's up?" Emily asked as she disconnected the garbage disposal.

"Are you hungry? I can make you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or something." Spencer said.

"I'm fine. I don't want you to go to any trouble for me."

"It's no trouble at all. I'm making one for myself anyway. So can I make you one too? And just say yes, you know you want one."

Emily pulled her head out from under the sink and sat up to look at Spencer.

"If you're making one anyway, then sure. Thanks a lot."

"Okay. It'll be just a minute then."

Spencer opened the refrigerator and pulled out a jar of grape jelly. She then went over to the cabinets, which all remained somewhat empty due to the remodel, but she was able to find a jar of peanut butter. As she began to make the sandwiches, Spencer looked over at Emily who was now bent over the sink, removing the faucet. Spencer's eyes wandered from Emily's toned shoulder muscles all the way down to the small of her back. When Emily finished with the sink, she turned around to look at Spencer. Spencer quickly averted her eyes, only looking up when Emily spoke to her.

"Is it okay if I use your bathroom to wash my hands?"

"Of course."

"Thanks. I'll be back in a second."

As Emily walked out of the room, Spencer went back to making the sandwiches. When Emily returned, she unbuckled her tool belt from around her waist and set it down on the counter near the sink.

"Come into the living room." Spencer said.

"Okay."

Emily followed Spencer into the living room and sat down next to her on the couch. Spencer set down the plate she was holding on the coffee table and picked up one of the sandwiches.

"These are for you." Spencer said, handing Emily the plate with two remaining sandwiches. Spencer also handed Emily a glass of milk.

"Thanks. You know Spencer, I really appreciate you being so nice to me and my crew. I know it can be pretty annoying having us practically take over your house."

"You guys haven't been annoying at all. You're just trying to do your job."

Emily set her glass of milk down on the coffee table and took a bite of her sandwich. Emily rolled her head from side to side and used one of her hands to rub her right shoulder, just below her neck.

"You okay?" Spencer asked.

"Yeah, I'm all right. My muscles are just a little stiff."

"Working too hard?"

"I think it's from sleeping on the couch these last few days since my mom's been in town."

"How much longer is your mom staying with you?"

"She's leaving tomorrow evening. I actually wish she was staying a little longer though. My apartment's never been so clean and I haven't had to cook once. Breakfast is ready when I wake up and dinner's on the table when I get home from work."

"Wow. Who needs a wife when you have an awesome mom?"

"I know." Emily laughed. "I'm pretty lucky, huh? She keeps trying to get me to move back to Texas though, I think she just wants someone to take care of full time."

"Can you blame her? You're her only baby. I'm sure she just misses having you at home."

"I guess you're right." Emily smiled, picking up the glass of milk from the coffee table.

"Do you want anything else to eat or more milk or something?"

"I'm fine, thanks. This is plenty. Do you think my shirt's almost dry?"

"You're not shy are you?" Spencer smirked. "Because you really don't need to be."

"Thanks." Emily smiled. "I don't really have anything to be shy about, you and I have the same basic anatomy… I'm just freezing…"

"You finish eating, I'll go check the dryer."

Spencer then got up off of the couch and walked into the laundry room. She opened the dryer and pulled Emily's soft, warm t shirt out, before making her way back to the living room.

"Here you go." Spencer said, handing the shirt to Emily. "It's nice and warm."

"Thanks a lot." Emily stood up from the couch and took the shirt from Spencer.

Spencer couldn't help but smile when she felt Emily's hands accidentally brush against her own, during the exchange. Emily held Spencer's gaze for a few long moments before speaking again.

"I uh…should really get back to work." Emily took a step back and slipped her shirt on.

"Okay." Spencer smiled.

Spencer sighed softly as she watched Emily return to the kitchen, strap her tool belt back on and continue working. A moment later, Spencer heard the front door open. She turned around to see Alison walking in, letting herself in uninvited, as she usually did. Alison closed the door behind her and walked over to Spencer.

"Alison? What are you doing here?"

"I'm bored. We're hanging out."

"Well, what exactly did you have in mind. I'm kinda busy."

"Busy with what?"

"I've got a huge book report due next week that I'm trying to work on."

"God, you're so lame. No one does homework on a Saturday."

"I do. This class is tough as it is. I can't afford to fall behind."

"Take a break. Let's go to the mall or something."

"I should really stay and work, but you can hang out here if you want."

Spencer walked back over to the couch, picked up her laptop and sat down.

Alison rolled her eyes and sat down on the couch, next to Spencer. For the next hour, Alison noticed that Spencer seemed to be very distracted. No matter how secretive Spencer thought she was being, Alison had caught her friend sneaking glances at Emily at least a dozen different times.

"Are you actually planning on writing anything?" Alison asked. "We've been sitting here for over an hour and you've barely typed three sentences."

"I'm just having a little trouble focusing."

"Oh really? I'm guessing it probably has something to do with that big hunk of eye candy in the kitchen."

"What are you talking about?"

"She's pretty sexy, don't you think?"

"Who, Emily? I haven't really noticed." Spencer said, nonchalantly.

"You haven't noticed?" Alison rolled her eyes. "Give me a break. You've been practically drooling over her since I got here. Admit it, you want a piece of that action, don't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not gay."

"Neither am I, but I'd still hit that."

"You're ridiculous, Alison. Can I just get back to this homework now?"

"Sure, but…"

"But what?"

"If you're not interested, then I guess you won't mind if I go talk to her."

"Leave Emily alone, she's busy."

"You're not jealous are you?" Alison smirked.

"Of course not." Spencer answered quickly. "She just has stuff to do. Besides, you're not even interested in women…"

"A little harmless flirting never hurt anyone." Alison said, standing up and walking toward the kitchen.

When Alison approached Emily, she stepped in front of the architect and stared her in the eyes.

"Hi, I'm Alison." The blonde said, as flirtatiously as she possibly could.

"I'm Emily."

"So…are you a contractor?" Alison asked as she placed her hands on the counter that Emily was working on and lifted herself up, until she was sitting on top of a slab of brand new marble.

"I'm an architect, but I guess you could call me a contractor too…I like to do a lot of work myself."

"So you'd say you're a pretty hands on type of girl?" Alison asked, crossing one leg over the other and leaning forward.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"You know, I'm pretty hands on, myself and I definitely wouldn't mind getting my hands on those abs." Alison pointed to Emily's stomach. "What do you say you show me what you've got under here." Alison reached out and grasped Emily's t shirt.

"I…uh…" Emily stuttered.

"Don't be shy, sweetie. Let's see."

Emily reached down and lifted her own shirt upward, revealing her tight and very defined abdominal muscles.

Alison then placed her hand on Emily's stomach and gently ran her fingers over the architect's abdomen.

"Very nice." Alison smirked, glancing over Emily's shoulder at Spencer, who looked very angry.

Unable to stand any more of Alison's shameless flirting, Spencer slammed the lid of her laptop closed and got up off of the couch. She walked into the kitchen.

"Alison. I changed my mind, I think I actually could use a study break. Let's go to the mall." Spencer said, trying desperately to hide her anger.

"Great. Let's go."

"Maybe I could get you to help me down?" Alison said, staring Emily in the eyes.

"Uh, sure. No problem."

Alison wrapped her arms around Emily's neck and raised her eyebrows at Spencer as if to say, "I know you're jealous." And the truth was, Spencer ws very jealous. She wished that she had enough courage to be that forward with Emily.

Emily placed her hands on the blonde's hips, lifted her off of the counter and set her down on the floor.

"Thank you." Alison placed her index finger on Emily's chin.

"Don't mention it." Emily couldn't help but smirk, slightly. "Have fun at the mall. It was nice meeting you, Alison."

"You too." Alison grinned, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she and Spencer began walking toward the door.


	12. Chapter 12

"What do you think of this?" Alison asked; holding up a short, blue mini skirt.

Spencer glanced over and just shrugged her shoulders.

"So what, you're not gonna talk at all?"

"I'm just not really in a very chatty mood..." Spencer said as she went back to absently browsing through a rack of clothing.

"Why? Because I flirted with your architect?"

"I don't care who you flirt with."

"Yeah right. It's so obvious that you like her. Just admit it already."

"So what if I do like her?" Spencer said, defensively. "It doesn't affect you and you know damn well the only reason you even flirted with her at all today was to piss me off."

"I knew you wanted in her pants." Alison smirked.

"It isn't like that at all. I like Emily because she's really sweet and she actually listens to me and..."

"And looks great in a pair of tight jeans and a tool belt." Alison said, looking over at Spencer.

"I am physically attracted to her, but I already told you, that's not the only reason I like her."

"If you like her so much, just make a move already. Be bold. She seems like a total soft touch. Just tell her you think she's hot and you want a piece of that. She shouldn't be that hard to break, but you'll never get her to fuck you, if you don't tell her that you're interested."

"Who said I wanted to sleep with her?"

"Don't pretend like you don't want to."

"I'm not even thinking at all about sex, I'm just trying to get to know Emily a little bit better."

"Well, I can't think of a better way of getting to know her than taking your clothes off and letting her lick your..."

"Stop. Alison." Spencer quickly cut off her friend.

"What? I'm just giving you my take on things."

"When I want your opinion, I'll ask you for it. I like how things are going between Emily and I right now. I don't need anyone telling me what to do."

"I'm just saying, I got farther with her in ten seconds than you've apparently gotten this far."

"And I'm just saying, I'm not you. I have my own way of doing things. I don't need your help."

"Fine. Don't take my advice, but at the rate you're going, you'll be a virgin forever."

"You can make fun of me for being a virgin all you want. It doesn't bother me. It's not a bad thing, maybe I just have a lot more self control than you do. I won't jump into bed with anyone who will pay me a little bit of attention."

Spencer then turned and began walking away.

"Where are you going?" Alison said, trailing behind Spencer. "You're my ride."

* * *

When Spencer returned home that evening she walked into the kitchen where she saw Emily polishing the brand new counter tops with a cloth.

"You're still here." Spencer said, smiling to herself.

"Oh, yeah...I was just finishing up." Emily turned around to face Spencer. "What do you think?"

Emily leaned against the counter and folded her arms over her chest.

"Absolutely gorgeous." Spencer said, staring at Emily. "The...uh...counters look totally amazing."

"Your parents really picked out a beautiful style of marble."

"You know, I was actually the deciding vote." Spencer said as she walked over to where Emily was standing.

"Oh, well...you have excellent taste then. Black and white marble is always very classy and sophisticated. It definitely seems like your style. This is actually one of my favorites, but hardly any of my clients ever pick it because it's so expensive."

"Leave it to my dad to pick out the most expensive thing..."

"I've kind of gotten the impression that your dad is the type of person would never settle for anything less than perfection."

"You got that right." Spencer laughed.

"In that case, I better get this mess cleaned up before he gets home. I had to do some sanding, clearly it got a little bit messy." Emily said, referencing the dust that accumulated on the floor. "Do you have a broom I could borrow for a minute?"

"Sure, hold on a second." Spencer said, walking out of the room.

A minute later, Spencer returned with a broom and handed it to Emily.

"Thank you."

"No problem. Is there anything I can do to help you?"

"Oh no, I'm good. But thanks for offering."

"So...how was the mall?" Emily asked as she began to sweep up the dust on the floor near the kitchen island.

"Pretty uneventful. I didn't buy a single thing." Spencer leaned against the counter.

"Sounds a lot like when I go to the mall..." Emily laughed. "Where's your friend?"

"She went home."

"She lives across the street, right?"

"Yeah. How'd you know that?"

"I thought I saw her outside of that green house across the street a couple of times last week. She certainly isn't shy, is she?"

"You'd never possibly be into someone like that, would you? Someone who would so obviously exploit your body that way...that can't seriously be what you like."

"I mean I think it's really sexy when a girl's confident and everything and isn't afraid to approach me…"

"I get that, but I feel like you shouldn't let anyone objectify you like Alison obviously did. She's annoying. You've got a lot more going for you than just a nice body."

Emily smiled to herself at Spencer's compliment.

"Thank you, but I'd never try to hook up with one of your friends, if that's what you're getting at...it'd be awkward, besides Alison's definitely not my type anyway."

"Well...what kind of girl is your type, I mean, like theoretically, if you were looking to date someone."

"I'm actually not that hard to please in a relationship, I really just like a nice, down-to-Earth girl who's smart and independent, but isn't afraid to let me take care of her."

"You're a total romantic. I had a feeling you were a lot more than just a player."

"It really just depends on the girl I'm with." Emily handed the broom back to Spencer. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Spencer took the broom from Emily and placed it over near the refrigerator.

Spencer walked around to the other side of the island. As she walked back over to Emily; Spencer failed to notice Emily's toolbox sitting on the ground, near the island. Spencer tripped over the corner of the toolbox and stumbled forward. Spencer's hands, slid up Emily's chest as Emily planted her hands on the brunette's waist to steady her. Being this close to Emily, Spencer was able to take in the scent of the dryer sheet that still lingered on the architect's t shirt. Neither Spencer nor Emily immediately moved, but rather spent a few long moments in close proximity to one another.

"I'm sorry." Spencer said, finally finding her voice again. She looked up at Emily, her arms still draped over the architect's shoulders.

"You okay?" Emily stared down into Spencer's eyes, her hands never leaving the brunette's hips.

"I'm okay. I think I twisted my ankle a little though."

"Can you walk on it?"

Spencer tentatively let go of Emily and put some pressure on her left ankle before taking a few small steps.

"Does it hurt at all?"

"A little bit."  
"I'm really sorry, I shouldn't have left my stuff lying around."

"It's okay. I should have been paying attention to where I was walking. I'm fine."

"At least let me help you to the couch." Emily said, noticing Spencer leaning on the counter for support. "Here, just put your arms around my neck."

Spencer took a step closer to Emily and wrapped her arms around the architect's neck. Emily then placed one of her hands on Spencer's back, bent down, slipped her other arm underneath the brunette's knees and lifted her up off of the ground. Emily effortlessly carried Spencer into the living room and gently set her down onto the couch.

"Thank you." Spencer said, looking up at Emily.

"Do you want me to get you an ice pack or anything?"

"That's not necessary. I'm fine."

"Are you sure? I feel bad…"

"Emily, it's okay, really." Spencer smiled, took Emily's hand and pulled her down into a sitting position on the couch. "It's not a big deal."

Emily smiled weakly at Spencer. Over the past few weeks, Emily had found herself growing very fond of the young brunette. She hadn't felt this emotionally attracted to someone since her ex-fiancée.

_If you just kiss her, she'll know how you feel, you won't even have to say a word._ Emily thought to herself._ But she's straight…I've kissed straight girls before though…but what if she's not into me? I'll just make things weird between us. I'm going to be working here for a while, the last thing I want is to make things awkward. Then again, what if she is into me and she's waiting for me to make a move? Sometimes she seems like she might like me a little bit..._Emily's mind was racing as she subconsciously leaned in closer to Spencer.

It was at that moment, that the front door opened and Peter stepped inside. Emily stood up and walked back into the kitchen.

"Hey, Spence." Peter said as he walked over to his daughter. "Emily, the kitchen looks incredible. You did a fantastic job."

"Thanks, Mister Hastings." Emily smiled. "If it's all right with you, I'd like to stop by at some point tomorrow to make sure the countertops set properly."

"Of course."

"Great. How does late morning or early afternoon work for you?"

"Whenever is good for you. Someone will be here to let you in." Peter said, as he loosened the tie around his neck.

"Perfect. I usually like to let new countertops set over night before giving them a final inspection."

"Keep up the good work, Emily." Peter extended his hand out to the architect.

"Will do, sir." Emily said as she shook Peter's hand. "Well, I should really get going. I'll see you tomorrow, then. Have a good night."

"You too."

Emily picked up her tool box and began walking toward the door.

"Bye, Emily." Spencer said.

"See ya later." Emily gave the brunette a small smile before turning and heading out the door.

* * *

When Emily returned home that evening, her mother was in the kitchen, finishing up cooking dinner.

"Hi, mom." Emily said, walking into the kitchen.

"Hi, sweetheart. How was work?"

"It was fine. I got all my countertops installed."

"That's great. I bet they look fantastic."

"I think they look pretty nice, if I do say so myself."

"I'm so proud of you, Emily."

"Thanks, mom."

"I certainly hope you worked up an appetite because dinner's just about ready."

"Great, I'm starving. I'm just gonna go change my clothes. I'll be back in a minute." Emily turned and walked into her bedroom.

After a few minutes, Emily walked out of the bedroom and over to the table.

"Go ahead and sit down, honey."

Emily pulled out one of the chairs and sat down at the table. Pam then picked up a napkin from the table and spread it out over Emily's lap. Pam then walked back into the kitchen and a moment later, returned with two plates of food. She set one plate down in front of Emily and the other across the table. Pam sat down across from her daughter.

"You know, mom, it's been really nice having you here these last few days. Thank you for cooking and cleaning for me, it definitely wasn't necessary, but I really do appreciate it."

"You're welcome, sweetheart. You're my baby, I love taking care of you."

Emily smiled as she stabbed a small chunk of chicken with her fork and put it into her mouth.

"What time is your flight leaving tomorrow?"

"Not until four p.m. Are you planning on going to church tomorrow morning?"

"Of course. We can go together."

"Okay. Are there any cute girls that go to your church? There must be some nice girls who would love to date a successful, young architect."

Emily just rolled her eyes and laughed.

"You'll never give up, will you?"

"You've known me for twenty three years, Emily. You should know by now that persistence is one of my strongest points."

* * *

A/N:  
Hey everyone! I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while. I haven't had much time to write lately. I know where I want to take the story and it's slowly progressing. Spencer and Emily are getting closer and closer with each chapter. Just stick with me, I promise they'll get together soon. :) Thank you guys so much for the support, I really love reading all of your comments and reviews, so keep 'em coming.  
-Fender18


	13. Chapter 13

A few days later.

It was late in the evening when Spencer's father returned home from work. Spencer was sitting in the kitchen doing some homework when Peter walked in the door.

"Hey, Spence." Peter set his keys down on the counter.

"Hi, dad."

"Working on some homework?"

"Yeah, a little bit."

"Good. Don't forget your mother and I are leaving for New York tomorrow morning. I'll make sure to leave you some extra cash to get you through the weekend."

"Okay. How long are you guys going to be gone?"

"We'll be back on Sunday. Are you going to be all right by yourself for a few days?"

"I'll be fine."

"Okay. Your sister is coming with us, but Wren will be here if you need anything."

"Why is Melissa going with you? I thought this was a business trip."

"It is, but Melissa and your mother are taking some free time to shop for wedding dresses."

"Great." Spencer groaned, sarcastically.

* * *

Later the next evening, Spencer walked into the kitchen where Emily was finishing up installing a brand new stainless-steel dishwasher.

"Hey, Emily."

"Hey Spencer." Emily turned around. "How's it going?" She asked, slipping a screw driver back into her tool belt.

"Good, thanks. How about you?"

"Not bad. I just finished installing your new dishwasher."

"I'm sure you did an amazing job."

"I think I did a pretty good job. And check this out, all stainless-steel." Emily then opened the door to the dishwasher. "Adjustable racks, perfectly concealed control panel, you can even pause the wash cycle once it's been started to add something you forgot."

Spencer smiled.

"Do you always get this excited about household appliances?"

"Usually." Emily laughed. "I'm just really passionate about what I do."

"It shows. I think it's totally cool that you care so much about your work."

"I'm lucky to have a job that I love. Not a lot of people have that anymore...well I think I'm about done for the evening. I should be heading home."

"Do you have to go?" Spencer asked.

"Why? Is something wrong?"

"No...it's just that my parents are in New York and..."

"Are you afraid to be home alone?"

"Not afraid really, it's just boring without anyone to talk to and all my friends are busy with other stuff. You can only sit and do homework for so long…"

"Listen Spencer, if you're interested you're more than welcome to come hang out at my place."

"Really?"

"Sure. I could actually use some company myself. Even though my mom was only in town for a few days, I kinda got used to having someone at home with me."

"I'd love to come hang out with you."

"Cool. Just let me pack up my truck and we can go."

* * *

"You hungry?" Emily asked as she and Spencer walked into her apartment. "I can order a pizza, unless you feel like something else."

"Pizza sounds great."

"All right. Pizza it is then. What do you like on it?"

"I like what ever you like." Spencer smiled at Emily. "I'm pretty easy to please."

"I guess so. And here I thought rich girls were supposed to be such high maintenance."

"You're totally stereotyping me. I'm not like most girls."

"I'm finding that out." Emily shot Spencer a slight smile as she pulled her cell phone from her pocket and dialed the number to one of the local pizza shops.

When Emily got off the phone, she turned around to see Spencer loitering near the bookshelf.

"You are allowed to sit down, you know." Emily said.

"Oh right. Thanks." Spencer chuckled nervously as she sat down on the living room couch.

"So, what were we talking about?" Emily asked.

"Well...I believe you were about to apologize for unfairly labeling me as just another average rich girl." Spencer smirked.

"Yes, well...I hope you can forgive my complete ignorance. I guess I'm a little biased, I've dated a couple of privileged girls, shall we say...I just couldn't keep up with them."

"You're forgiven...can I ask you something?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Well...I'm just wondering...how do you know if you're gay?"

"How does someone know if they're gay?" Emily said as she sat down on the couch, next to Spencer.

"Yeah."

"You're asking because?"

"Because I'm curious. I kinda don't exactly know which way I'm going and I want to know how I can be sure."

"Oh, well in that case, I'll give you the official 'are you gay?' quiz." Emily laughed, turning toward Spencer.

"Wait, what?"

"I'm just kidding." Emily laughed again.

"You're a jerk." Spencer reached over and punched Emily's left bicep, though she couldn't help but laugh. "I was trying to ask you a serious question."

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry."

"So...how do you know if you're gay?"

"How do you know if you're straight? Listen, Spence...I uh, mean Spencer, sorry."

"No, it's okay. You can call me Spence. All my friends do."

"Okay." Emily smiled softly at Spencer. "Anyway, unfortunately I can't really give you a straightforward answer to your question because there isn't one."

"Why does this have to be so confusing?"

"Sexuality can be a pretty confusing thing, believe me, I understand what you're going through. Am I the first person you've ever talked to about this?"

"I've told a few of my friends, but besides them you're the only other one who I've ever said anything to."

"How did your friends take it?"

"Very well. Aria and Hanna are my best friends in the whole world. They've been super supportive of me."

"I'm glad to hear it. I think a strong support system is the most important thing."

It made Emily happy that Spencer was able to confide in her and as much as Emily wanted to tell Spencer how she felt, she didn't want to risk complicating things. It wasn't long before Emily was pulled away from her thoughts by the sound of a knock at the door.

"That must be the pizza." Emily said, getting up off of the couch.

When Emily came back into the living room, she set the pizza box down on the coffee table.

"I'll get us something to drink. I'll be back in a second."

"So...can we watch a movie or something?" Spencer asked.

"We can..." Emily said, walking back into the living room. "But we'd have to watch in the bedroom, so we can use the DVD player that's built into the TV. The DVD player out here doesn't work and I haven't gotten around to buying a new one."

"I don't mind watching in the bedroom if you don't."

"Okay. Why don't you go head and pick out a movie then? I'll bring the pizza."

Once Spencer had settled on a movie, she headed into Emily's bedroom, where Emily was already sitting on the bed. Spencer inserted the disk into the built in slot on the side of the TV.

"You want the light off?" Spencer asked.

"It's up to you."

Spencer shut out the light and joined Emily on the middle of the bed.

* * *

Later that night, when the movie ended, Emily glanced over at Spencer. She noticed that the brunette had fallen asleep next to her. Emily got up off of the bed, picked up the pizza and took the left over food into the kitchen. Emily then went back into the bedroom and pulled the blanket on the bed up over Spencer's body, before shutting off the TV. Emily changed her clothes and headed back into the living room, where she'd spend the rest of the night on the couch.

* * *

Early the next morning, Spencer slowly opened her eyes, where she saw Emily standing in front of her dresser as she got dressed. Emily pulled her jeans up and buttoned them, before buckling her belt around her waist. Unbeknownst to Emily, Spencer watched as she pulled a t shirt out of her dresser drawer and slipped it over her head. When Emily turned around, Spencer rolled over on to her back and stretched as if she had just woken up.

"Good morning." Emily said, pulling her t shirt down over her stomach. "How'd you sleep?"

"Fine, thanks." Spencer sat up. "But, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep here...why didn't you wake me up last night?"

"I was going to wake you up and take you home, but you looked so comfortable. I didn't have the heart to wake you."

"Well, that was really sweet of you to let me stay here."

"No problem."

"So...did you sleep in here...like in the bed?"

"No, Don't worry. I slept out on the couch."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I don't mind."

"You could have still slept in here with me, you know."

"Yeah, well I like to sleep naked, so I wasn't sure that sleeping in the same bed would have been appropriate." Emily smirked.

"You really sleep naked?"

"No, I'm just kidding." Emily laughed. "Why don't you go ahead and get ready, I'll drive you to school. You can borrow something to wear, if you want."

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it. I don't exactly have the most extensive wardrobe, but you can help yourself to anything in my closet. I'm gonna go make some coffee. Let me know when you're ready to go."

Emily then turned and walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind her to give Spencer some privacy. Spencer laid back down and spent the next few minutes trying to process the fact that she was actually lying in Emily's bed. Spencer eventually got up and walked over to Emily's closet. She pulled out a black Texas Tech hoodie and slipped it on. Spencer then walked over to the mirror and smoothed out her hair before heading out of the room to find Emily.


	14. Chapter 14

"Hey, Spence." Aria said, approaching the brunette at her locker along with Hanna.

"Hey." Spencer tuned around to face her friends.

"Where'd you get the Texas Tech hoodie?" Aria asked. "Did you change your mind about schools?"

"No, I borrowed this from Emily. I slept over at her apartment last night and needed something to wear."

"Wait, back up for a minute." Hanna said. "What do mean you slept over at her apartment!?"

"Relax, Han." Spencer said. "It wasn't like that. She invited me over, we were watching a movie and I just fell asleep. That's all. It was honestly an accident."

"Did you like sleep in her bed?" Hanna smirked.

"Yes."

"Did you guys spoon?" Hanna nudged Spencer.

"Of course not." A dark shade of red crept across Spencer's face. "She didn't even sleep in the bedroom with me. She stayed on the couch in the living room."

"Still, you were at her apartment." Aria said. "She must like you if she invited you over."

"Totally. Just go for it, Spence." Hanna said.

"I want to, but what if she only likes me as a friend? I'll end up embarrassing myself."

"Can we at least meet this hottie?" Hanna asked. "Maybe we can help figure out if she's into you before you make a move."

"You guys want to come over after school? I kinda need a ride home, anyway."

"I'm definitely in." Hanna said.

"Me too." Aria agreed. "I can't wait to meet the girl who's obviously got you so head over heels."

"I know you guys are gonna love her. She's amazing."

* * *

Later that afternoon; Aria, Hanna and Spencer arrived at the Hastings' house. Aria and Hanna followed Spencer into the house, through the living room and into the kitchen, where Emily was alone, working on installing new cabinets.

"Hi, Emily." Spencer said.

Emily turned around to see Spencer standing in the kitchen with two girls, whom she didn't recognize.

"Hey, Spencer. What's up?"

"Not too much. I want you to meet my friends."

"I'm Hanna." The blonde spoke up first.

"Emily." The architect said, extending her hand to the blonde. "Spencer told me about you."

"Really? What did she say?" Hanna asked, excitedly.

"She said she had a friend named Hanna."

"Gee, thanks for the build-up, Spence." Hanna said, glancing over at her friend.

Emily laughed and shifted her gaze to Aria.

"I'm Aria." The shorter brunette also shook Emily's hand.

"Nice to meet you. Spencer talked about you too…so...is there something I can do for you girls?" Emily asked.

"I just wanted to give you back your sweatshirt." Spencer reached down and pulled the hoodie up over her head.

"Why don't you just go ahead and keep it?"

"Really?"

"Sure. I've got like a million more at home and that doesn't even include the ones my mom has."

"Thanks." Spencer said, trying to fight back the grin that was inevitably creeping across her face. "That's really nice of you."

"You're welcome. Too bad it's just a little bit big on you."

"I don't care. It's warm and comfortable. I love it. Maybe I'll grow into it. Everyone tells me I'm too skinny anyway."

"You look just fine to me."

"Thanks." Spencer blushed. "Well, uh...we'll be up in my room, if you need anything, just ask." Spencer said, remembering that she and Emily weren't the only ones in the room.

"Okay. Thanks, Spencer." Emily turned around to get back to work.

Spencer, Hanna and Aria then all made their way upstairs to Spencer's room.

"Oh my God, Spence, you have to date her." Hanna said. "She's sexy and knows how to build things. Nice butt too."

"I'm with Hanna." Aria agreed.

"And she's totally ripped." Hanna said. "Did you see those muscles?"

"You should see her without a shirt on." Spencer smirked.

"I'll definitely put that on my 'to do' list." Hanna said. "How the hell did you manage to sleep over at her house and not do anything?"

"I have a lot of self-control."

"Apparently." Hanna laughed.

"You've got it bad for this girl, Spence." Aria said.

"I know." Spencer sighed, flopping down on her bed. "I can't help it."

"I don't blame you. I can definitely see why you're so into her." Aria said.

"Now…in all seriousness, what exactly are you planning to do about all of this sexual tension?"

"You think we have sexual tension?"

"Are you kidding? I've never felt more sexual tension between two people in my life." Hanna said. "Make a move already, Spence. Opportunity waits."

"I don't even know where to start. I feel like I can barely breathe when I'm around her. I try so hard to hide it, but I get really nervous..."

"Aw, Spence." Aria said. "You should just sit down with her and tell her how you feel."

"Easier said than done. What if she really isn't into me at all and she's just being nice? I mean she's told me before that she's not looking for a girlfriend, maybe that's her way of telling me she isn't interested. What if I tell her that I like her and she shoots me down. It would make things awkward between us. How would I even face her again?"

"Or what if she's holding out because she feels the same way about you." Aria said. "I mean think about it, if you were her, would you be nervous to make a move on a client's daughter?"

"Definitely." Spencer said.

"See. Just subtly hint at your feelings, maybe you'll get her to open up."

"Yeah, Spence. It's not like you have to walk up to her and say 'I think you're hot, let's fuck.' But that would probably work too, so I wouldn't rule it out completely."

* * *

Later that evening, Aria, Hanna and Spencer were sitting on Spencer's bed, working on some homework when they heard a knock at the door.

"Come in." Spencer called out.

Emily then opened the door and stepped into the room.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm done for the day, so I'm heading out."

"Oh, okay…actually, before you go, do you think I could get you to do me a favor?" Spencer asked.

"What is it?"

"Well, I know it's not part of your job, but is there any way I could get you to change that light bulb for me?" Spencer asked, pointing to the light fixture on the ceiling in front of the bed. "It burned out yesterday morning and I can't quite reach it."

"Sure. I think I can handle that." Emily smiled.

"Thanks. I'll go grab you a new light bulb."

"I can get it." Emily said. "Where do you keep them?"

"There are some in the bathroom. On the top shelf of the cabinet."

"Okay. I'll be back in a second."

When Emily returned, she handed the light bulb to Spencer.

"Can you hold this for a minute?" Emily asked.

"Sure...can you reach it?"

"I think so." Emily said as she reached up over her head and removed the cover from the light fixture.

Emily then set the cover down on the bed. Spencer watched Emily's t shirt slowly ride up her stomach as she reached above her head again, to unscrew the light bulb from its socket. Emily handed the old light bulb to Spencer and took the new one. Once Emily had screwed in the new bulb, she replaced the cover over the light.

"There you go. Good as new." Emily said.

"Thank you." Spencer said.

"No problem. I'm gonna get going. It was nice meeting you guys too." Emily said, shifting her gaze to Hanna and Aria.

"You too." Hanna and Aria both replied at the same time.

"I'll see you later. Oh and Spencer, if you happen to need anything while your parents are out of town, feel free to give me a call. You've got my number."

"Thank you."

Emily then turned and walked out of the room.

* * *

When Emily got back downstairs, she met her crew, who were just finishing packing up their tools.

"So...Em, we were thinking about going out for a few drinks." Mike said. "You in?"

"I don't know..."

"Come out with us, Em. It'll be fun." Ben said, nudging the architect.

"Okay, okay. I'll go."

"Sweet. Hollis Bar and Grille?" Chris asked.

"Sure." Emily said. "Just let me go home and take a quick shower, I'll meet you guys there in about an hour."

* * *

A little over an hour later, Emily got to the bar. She walked inside and over to a table where her friends were sitting.

"Hey Em." Chris said as Emily sat down at the table. "Got you a beer." He slid a bottle across the table to Emily.

"Thanks, dude. I'll get the next round."

"Nice. I love when you come out with us." Mike said. "So...you guys think any hot Hollis girls will show up tonight?"

"I hope so." Chris said. "What do you say, Em? Will you be our wingman?"

"No way." Mike chimed in. "Em's a terrible wingman. The girls always just end up hitting on her. She's a huge cockblock."

Emily just rolled her eyes as everyone else laughed.

* * *

Later that night.

Emily, Ben and Chris all watched from across the bar as a slightly intoxicated Mike hit on girl after girl. Having almost no luck, he returned to the table, slumping down next to Emily.

"So...where are all these girls you were supposed to hook up with?" Emily laughed.

"Okay, hot shot, which one of these ladies are you taking home tonight?" Mike asked, raising his beer bottle to his lips and finishing off the remaining liquid.

"None of them." Emily said, nonchalantly.

"Come on, Em. You've gotta be dying to get some." Mike said. "When was the last time you actually had sex?"

"I don't know. It's been a couple of months, I think."

"That doesn't bother you?" Chris asked.

"Not really. It's not that big of a deal to me."

"There has to be some girl you're interested in, Em." Ben said.

"Well...actually there is this one girl, but I don't know if she likes me."

"What's not to like?" Chris said.

"Yeah, I mean if you were straight...I'd totally be all over that." Mike slurred as he threw his arm around Emily's shoulder.

"No, just no." Emily shook her head. "There are so many things wrong with that statement, I can't even..."

Ben and Chris both laughed.

"So...who's the girl, Em?" Ben asked.

"Spencer Hastings." Emily said, taking a drink from her beer bottle.

"You're into the Hastings' daughter?" Chris said. "She's hot and everything, but I thought you said she was engaged and a bitch."

"Not the older one, the younger one."

"Dude, get on that." Mike said. "She's always like following you around and shit. She wants your dick."

Emily just stared at Mike and narrowed her eyebrows.

"You know what I mean."

"I know you usually like younger women, but isn't she still in high school?" Chris said.

"Well, yeah..."

"You know, her parents are like big name lawyers; not just in this town, but in the whole state." Ben said. "If they find out you're messing around with their daughter, they'll ruin you..."

"She's eighteen. Having a relationship with her wouldn't be illegal."

"I'm glad that you're finally showing interest in someone other than Stephanie." Chris said. "But, are you sure that hooking up with a client's daughter is a good idea?"

"It's a terrible idea and I usually wouldn't even consider it, but I can't help it. I can't stop thinking about her. I haven't felt this close to someone since Stephanie and I were together. I mean I actually care about Spencer and I think she might like me. With a little bit of time, I think I'd be able to win her over."

"I'm sure you can." Ben said. "But, I really think that getting romantically involved with someone so young will only end badly for you. You're more experienced and mature, but she's not even out of high school yet. I mean look at what happened with you and Stephanie, she was young and immature. She walked all over you and you ended up getting your heart broken. I just don't want to see you get hurt again, Em. I think you'd be a lot happier with someone your own age."

"Maybe you're right. I don't know what I was thinking...Spencer's so far out of my league anyway, it's not even funny." Emily \sighed heavily. "I don't know why I even bother. Stephanie didn't want me, why would any other girl? I'll just end up spending the rest of my life alone."

"Em, that's not what I meant at all." Ben said.

"Whether you did or not, it's the truth, I better learn to live with it…I'm going to get another beer." Emily stood up from the table and picked up her beer bottle, finishing it off as she made her way across the crowded room to the bar.

"Hi, what can I get for you?" The bartender, a petite, young, redhead asked.

Emily set her empty bottle down on the counter and sat down at one of the stools.

"Can I get another beer and a couple of whiskey shots, please?"

"Rough day?"

"Something like that."

"Poor thing. I'll get those for you in just a second."

The bartender set two shot glasses down in front of Emily and filled them up. She then picked up a bottle of beer and removed the cap.

"There you go, hun." The bartender said, sliding the bottle to Emily. "These are on the house, tonight."

"Thanks a lot." Emily smiled softly at the woman across the bar.

"No problem. And keep smiling, you're way too cute to look so depressed. Let me know if I can get you anything else."

"Thanks."

Emily picked up one of the shot glasses and tossed back the first shot. The liquid burned her throat all the way down, but she still picked up the remaining shot and downed it as well. Emily sat alone at the bar for a while as she drank her beer.

"Hi, what are you drinking?" The bartender asked a woman who was now standing beside Emily.

"Vodka cranberry, please."

"Coming right up."

Emily glanced over at the tall, twenty-something brunette, standing beside her.

"Heather?" Emily said.

"Emily? Hey." The woman smiled.

The bartender then handed the brunette her drink.

"Thank you."

"So...what are you doing here? I thought you got a job in Washington DC." Emily asked.

"I did. I'm just passing through Rosewood on my way back to Philadelphia. I'm flying back to Washington tomorrow morning."

"Oh, well...how have you been?"

"Great. How about you?"

"Okay. I work a lot."

"You always did…that hasn't changed and I see you're still as sexy as ever. You seeing anyone?"

"Nope." Emily said, lifting her beer bottle to her lips.

"Really?"

"Really."

The brunette then set her drink down on the bar, leaned over and pressed her lips against Emily's. Heather laced her fingers into Emily's hair as she slipped her tongue into the architect's mouth. When the kiss was broken, Heather leaned back to look at Emily.

"What do you say we go back to your place?" Heather said, running her fingers through Emily's hair. "For a little fun..."

"Well...I uh..."

"Come on, Em, I've already seen you naked." Heather stood up and draped her arms over Emily's shoulders. "It's not like we've never slept together before. Besides, it's pretty lonely in my hotel room. I could use some company."

"I wouldn't want you to be lonely." Emily placed her hands on the other girl's hips and leaned forward to kiss her.

"Great. Let's get out of here." Heather tugged on Emily's hand, getting her to stand up.

The architect then stumbled drunkenly behind Heather, holding onto her hand as they made their way to the door.


	15. Chapter 15

Before I get to the update, I'd just like to take a minute to send my thoughts and prayers out to any of you and your families who may be dealing with the effects of the hurricane. We're getting some storms here in western Pennsylvania, but I know it's not nearly as bad as what some of the more eastern cities are seeing. I sure hope you guys are all okay, please be safe out there.

* * *

The next morning, Emily woke up with a pounding headache. She looked over at Heather who was lying in bed next to her, still sleeping. Emily then glanced over at the clock which was next to the bed and realized that she had slept through her alarm and was already late for work.

"Shit." Emily groaned and rubbed her eyes, before slowly getting out of bed to get dressed.

After a few minutes, Heather began to stir, she rolled over and noticed Emily getting dressed.

"What are you putting clothes on for?" Heather said, sitting up as she pulled the blanket up to her chest. "Come back to bed, Em."

"I can't. I'm already late for work." Emily said, pulling on a pair of jeans. "You should probably get dressed too, I don't want you to miss your flight."

"I can always catch the next one. No big deal."

Heather got out of bed, wearing nothing but a t shirt and walked over to Emily.

"You were great last night. Every bit as good as I remember." Heather said as she wrapped her arms around Emily's neck. "What can I do to convince you to come back to bed with me?"

"Heather...I know we've hooked up in the past, but nothing should have happened last night. I was drunk and I'm sorry if I mislead you into thinking that…"

"You always were a player…I guess some things never change. Listen Em, if you're worried about commitment, you don't need to be. I'm not looking for a relationship either, just a good fuck."

"I really have to go to work." Emily backed away from Heather and pulled a shirt out of her dresser.

"All right. If I can't change your mind, I guess I'll head back over to my hotel." Heather said as she began gathering her clothes off of the floor.

"I'll call you a cab."

"Thank you."

"So…you want your t shirt back?" Heather asked, tugging on the shirt that hung loosely from her own body.

"Uh…no, you can just take it with you."

It wasn't long before Emily and Heather heard a car horn outside.

"That must be my ride." Heather said. "If you're ever in D.C. and looking for a good time, give me a call."

Heather then turned and walked out of the room, leaving Emily alone. Emily walked over to her bed and sat down. She ran her fingers through her hair as her head throbbed.

"Damn it." Emily mumbled to herself. "I'm such a fuck."

* * *

When Emily got to the Hastings' house, she walked inside to find her crew was already at work.

"Sorry I'm late." Emily said.

"Hey, Em." Chris said. "What happened to you last night? You never came back. We tried calling and texting you like a million times."

"Yeah, we looked all over the bar for you too. We couldn't find you." Mike added.

"After I left you guys, I ran into Heather and we went back to my apartment."

"Heather as in your ex-girlfriend Heather?" Chris asked.

"She was never my girlfriend. We hooked up a few times. That's it."

"Are you okay, Em? You seem a little on edge." Ben said.

"I got wasted and slept with Heather last night. Now, I have a terrible hangover, I'm depressed and regret everything I did. So yeah, you could say I'm a little on edge."

"If it had anything to do with our conversation about Spencer, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say anything to upset you." Ben said. "I was just trying to look out for you."

"Let's just drop it. We've got work to do." Emily said. "This kitchen is already taking longer than I planned."

"Em…I really am sorry…" Ben said.

"It's fine." Emily strapped her tool belt around her waist and walked across the room.

* * *

For most of the day, Emily barely spoke at all as she worked. It wasn't until mid-afternoon when she finally said something to her crew.

"I'm taking a break…I'll be back soon."

"Do you want to go grab some lunch together?" Chris asked.

"I think I kinda just want to be by myself for a while." Emily said as she turned around and walked out of the house.

"This is all your fault, you know." Mike said, looking at Ben.

"What's my fault?"

"It's your fault that Emily is so depressed. She was in a good mood last night...you know how long it took her to get over Stephanie. She's finally interested in someone and you had to go fuck it all up."

"I didn't do anything wrong." Ben said. "I'm looking out for Emily. She's young and successful, I don't want to see her career ruined by Spencer's parents when things don't work out. Emily's got way too much ahead of her."

"Who says things won't work out?" Mike said. "Maybe they will. We don't know. I think if Emily's interested in this girl, she should at least ask her out."

Mike then turned and walked out the door, hoping to catch up to Emily. When he got outside, Mike noticed that Emily was sitting in her truck, just staring blankly out the driver's side window.

"Hey, Em." Mike said, opening the passenger side door of the truck. "I'm glad you didn't leave. Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"I guess so..." Emily sighed. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to say...if you want to ask Spencer out, I think you should go for it. I know I'm not really a big 'share your feelings' type of guy, but I want you to know that I support you no matter what. You might be my boss, but you're also one of the best friends I've ever had. You've always been there for me and I want to do the same for you."

"Thanks." Emily smiled softly. "Do you think I even stand a chance with Spencer?"

"Sure. There's no way she could ever turn you down."

"You don't think I'm totally crazy for going after an eighteen year old?"

"No way. Age doesn't matter. If she makes you happy, you should at least take a shot."

"Thanks, Mike. That really means a lot."

"No problem, Em. I'll always have your back."

* * *

"So...have you told Emily you're totally hot for her, yet?" Hanna asked as she approached Spencer at her locker.

"No way...I didn't even get to see her this morning. She wasn't at my house yet, when I left. I had to get to school early for a mandatory morning hockey workout."

"Ew. That's why I don't play sports. Way too much commitment."

"Yeah. The commitment's the reason you don't play." Spencer said, sarcastically as she shut her locker. "Good one."

"Whatever, sports are boring anyway." Hanna rolled her eyes and laughed. "Let's discuss more important things...have you had any more sexy dreams about Emily?"

"Not lately." Spencer said. "But I can't stop thinking about her...it's driving me crazy. I know I need to tell her how I feel, but I don't even know what to say, I really need to clear my mind…"

"How about if we go out and see a movie or something? We can have a girls' night, maybe Aria and I can help you sort out your feelings."

"That sounds great. Just don't invite Alison."

"You guys fighting?"

"Not really fighting, but I'm kinda pissed at her."

"What'd she do?"

"Well…she sort of figured out that I'm into Emily and instead of helping me figure out how to approach her, Alison just strolls over to her and openly hits on her right in front of me. I know she only did it to piss me off."

"What a bitch."

"I know. Who does that to a friend?"

"It's Alison. I'm never surprised by anything she does…I better get to class before I get another detention. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay. Bye, Han."

* * *

Later that evening, Spencer, Hanna and Aria decided to have coffee at the Applerose Grille before the movie.

"We should probably head over to the theater." Aria said.

Spencer, Aria and Hanna all stood up, left some money on the table and began walking toward the door. The girls were walking across the front of the restaurant when Hanna stopped.

"Hey. Isn't that Emily?" Hanna asked, staring across the restaurant.

"Funny, Han." Spencer said. "I'm not falling for it."

"I'm serious. She's over at the front counter."

Aria and Spencer both turned to look.

"Hey, that is Emily." Spencer smiled.

"Told you." Hanna said. "And she looks damn good in a leather jacket."

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to date her, Han." Aria said.

"Well excuse me for being able to appreciate an attractive person when I see one...you have to go talk to her, Spence. I mean this is totally like fate, what are the odds that'd we'd run into her?"

"Well...she's buying coffee at one of like two coffee shops in town, I'd say the odds were pretty good. Not sure I'm ready to call it fate." Spencer said.

"I don't care what you call it, as long as you go talk to her." Hanna shoved Spencer forward.

"Okay, okay. I'll go say hi."

Spencer then slowly made her way across the room to the front counter.

"Hi, Emily."

Emily turned around.

"Spencer. Hey." Emily said, obviously surprised to see the brunette. "Aria, Hanna. It's good to see you guys again. What are you all up to tonight?"

"We were actually just on our way to see a movie." Spencer said. "You wanna join us?"

"Sure. Sounds like fun."

"We should get going, then. We don't have much time." Spencer said.

As they all walked toward the door, Hanna lagged behind for a few seconds and grabbed Aria's arm.

"I have an idea to get them together." Hanna said.

"What is it?"

"Just follow my lead, okay?"

"You two coming?" Emily asked, looking back at Aria and Hanna.

They both nodded and when they caught up to Emily and Spencer, Emily opened the door and motioned for Spencer and her friends to go first.

"So...what movie were you guys planning to see?" Emily asked.

"We haven't really decided yet." Spencer said. "I'm up for anything though. What do you guys wanna see?" Spencer turned toward Aria and Hanna.

"Crap, I totally forgot...I can't go to the movie." Hanna said. "I promised my mom I'd cook dinner tonight. She'll be pissed if she gets home and I'm not there. I already flaked on her once this week."

"Han, calm down." Aria said. "I'll come over and help you. When your mom gets home, dinner will be ready and waiting. Problem solved."

"Thanks, Aria. Come on, let's go."

"Sorry we can't make it to the movie." Aria said. "You guys have a good time."

Hanna gave Spencer a quick wink before grabbing Aria's hand and dragging her off.

"And then there were two." Emily said.

"You don't mind if just the two of us see a movie anyway, do you?" Spencer asked.

"Not at all."

"Damn, I'm good." Hanna said as she and Aria disappeared around the corner and out of sight.

"That was a really nice thing you did for Spencer. I just hope she gets the chance to tell Emily how she feels."

"Me too." Hanna said as she pulled out her phone and began typing.

A few moments later, Spencer reached for her phone in her pocket when she heard it ping. She opened her text inbox, where she had a new message from Hanna.

**Enjoy your date. Get some. ;) Text me later.**  
**XO Han.**

Spencer smiled to herself and slipped her phone back into her pocket.

"Was it important?" Emily asked.

"No, it's okay. Let's go."

* * *

"Where do you want to sit?" Emily asked as she and Spencer walked into their theater.

"Somewhere in the middle, if you don't mind. I hate the front."

"Me too." Emily laughed.

"Are you hungry?" Emily asked. "I wasn't when we got here, but now I think I kinda want some popcorn. Do you want anything?"

"No, thanks. I'm okay."

"All right. I'll be back in a minute then."

Once Emily had left, Spencer fished her phone out of her pocket and began typing a message to Hanna.

**I need your help. How do I know if Emily thinks this is a date?**

**Did she buy your ticket?**

**Yeah. I didn't expect her to, but she insisted...**

**She totally wants you, Spence. Get her to give you a ride home and whatever you do, DO NOT let her leave until she kisses you goodnight.**

**I'm nervous. :/**

**Don't be. Just relax.**

After a few minutes, Emily returned.

"Sorry I took so long. The snack line was ridiculous." Emily said as she sat down.

"It's okay."

"You want some popcorn?" Emily held the bag out to Spencer. "I got extra butter."

"Thanks." Spencer smiled as she took a handful of popcorn. "So...I missed you this morning. You weren't at my house by the time I left."

"Yeah, I was running a little late. I wasn't really feeling all that well this morning."

"Are you okay now?"

"Yeah. I feel a lot better, actually."

"Good."

When the movie began; Spencer leaned back in her chair and tried to focus on the screen, but she was much too distracted by practicing in her head, all of the things she wanted to say to Emily afterward.

* * *

When the movie had ended for the evening, Spencer found herself even more nervous as she and Emily walked outside.

"Do you need a ride home?" Emily asked.

"If you wouldn't mind that would be great."

"I don't mind at all. We'll just have to walk back to coffee shop to pick up my car. I was actually hoping that maybe you and I could talk..."

"Of course." Spencer said, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat. "You can come back to my place."

"Sounds good."

As they walked down the sidewalk, Spencer shivered a little from the cool fall air.

"Cold?" Emily asked.

"A little bit."

"I think I can fix that." Emily took her jacket off and held it out for Spencer to slip her arms through. "Take my jacket."

"Thanks, Emily."

"Don't mention it."

As they continued walking, Spencer moved closer to Emily and linked her arm with the architect's.

* * *

When they got back to the Hastings' house, Spencer unlocked the door and Emily followed her into the living room. As she walked over to the couch, Spencer took Emily's jacket off and handed it back to her.

"Thanks again for letting me borrow your jacket. That was really sweet of you."

"No problem."

"So...what did you want to talk about?" Spencer asked as she sat down on the couch.

"Well…" Emily said, laying her jacket down on the armrest of the couch, before taking a seat next to the brunette. "I kinda get the feeling that your friends set us up...was tonight a date?"

"I swear I had nothing to do with it..." Spencer answered quickly.

"Relax. I'm not upset about it. I'm bringing it up because I want to know whether or not you considered tonight a date."

"Well...I uh...what do you think?" Spencer asked, gluing her eyes to the floor.

"I asked you first…but I think I'm hoping that you had a good time on a date with me...listen Spencer, I have to be honest with you here...I like you…a lot and it's been a really long time since I've connected with someone the way I have with you..."

"Do you really mean that?" Spencer felt her heart flutter in her chest as she looked up at Emily.

"Of course I do. You're smart and funny…" Emily said, leaning closer to Spencer as she spoke. "And so beautiful…" Emily reached up and tucked a lock of Spencer's hair behind her ear.

Spencer's heart pounded so hard against her ribcage that she was convinced it would escape. Spencer inhaled the musky, yet sweet scent of Emily's perfume as the architect stared into her eyes. Spencer took a deep breath and closed her eyes as her lips met Emily's for the very first time. Spencer's hands moved clumsily from Emily's shoulders to her hair. Spencer couldn't believe this was actually happening. She absolutely loved everything about the kiss; from the way Emily tasted slightly like buttered popcorn, to the gentle, yet deliberate way Emily's hands caressed her face. All Spencer knew was that she never wanted the kiss to end, but of course it did when she and Emily eventually ran out of oxygen. When the kiss was broken, Emily pulled back and looked at Spencer.

"Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for you to do that?" Spencer asked, her mind still reeling from the kiss.

"It couldn't possibly be as long as I've been waiting to work up the nerve to actually do it." Emily said, taking the brunette's hand.

"Spencer…I know it's unethical, inappropriate and totally unprofessional to become emotionally involved with a client's daughter...and I've tried so hard not feel the way I do, but I can't help it…"

"Emily, I couldn't care less if you're working for my family or not. I was lucky enough to meet this sweet, wonderful person who I care a lot about. You've done so much for me in just the short time that we've known each other. It doesn't matter to me how we met, the important thing is that we did and I'd really like to get to know you better."

"Does that mean you'll let me take you out on an official first date?"

"I'd love that."

"Can I take you out to dinner tomorrow night? I'll make us a reservation at the nicest restaurant I can find in Philadelphia."

"I can't think of a better way to spend a Friday night." Spencer smiled brightly at Emily. "And I can't wait to go out with you…officially, I mean. Thank you for the movie tonight, by the way."

"You're welcome…but it's getting kind of late…I should probably be getting home and you've got school in the morning." Emily stood up and slipped her jacket on.

"I'll walk you out."

Spencer also stood up from the couch and walked over to the door with Emily.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning." Emily said, before leaning in and kissing Spencer on the cheek. "Goodnight, Spencer."

"Goodnight." Spencer said, softly as she watched Emily turn and walk down the porch stairs.

Once Emily was out of sight, Spencer shut the door and walked back over to the couch. She flopped down on her back and squealed happily as she fished her cell phone out of her pocket to text her friends.

* * *

A/N:

I know you guys wanted Emily and Spencer to hook up a lot sooner and I know that I held out for a long time, but I hope the wait was worth it. I wanted them to get to know each other a bit as friends first and develop a little sexual tension before going any further. I also wanted Aria and Hanna to help push Spencer in the right direction, so…I really hope you all enjoyed the update. See you in the next chapter.

-Fender18


	16. Chapter 16

The next morning, Emily arrived at the Hastings' house early for work. She gathered her tools from the back of her truck and headed to the house, hoping to have the chance to see Spencer before she left for school. Emily couldn't remember the last time she was in this good of a mood. She knocked on the front door and after a minute or two, Spencer opened it.

"Good morning." Emily said as she walked into the house.

"Morning." Spencer smiled. "How are you?"

"Great. We're still on for our date, right?"

"I wouldn't miss it for anything. Where are we eating?"

"I got us a reservation at that new Italian place in Philadelphia."

"The one that just opened a few months ago?"

"Yeah...is that okay? Because if you'd rather go somewhere else we can." Emily said, her voice suddenly sounding slightly nervous. "Just let me know."

"I love that place. It's one of my favorites."

"Okay, good." Emily breathed a sigh of relief. "So...do you want me to pick you up here after I go home and change?"

"That would be perfect."

"So…what exactly do we tell your parents when I come to pick you up?" Emily asked, reaching down and taking Spencer's hands in her own.

"Don't worry. They won't be here. They're still out of town until Sunday. I can't wait until tonight, but I really have to get to school."

"Okay." Emily placed her hand behind Spencer's head and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll see you tonight."

"Can we just fast forward straight to tonight?" Spencer said, feeling her knees go slightly weak at Emily's touch.

"I wish we could." Emily smiled.

Spencer then wrapped her arms around Emily and hugged her.

"I'll see you later." Spencer said before picking up her book bag and heading out the door.

* * *

"Hey, Spence. There you are. I missed you this morning." Hanna said, noticing her friend walking down the hall.

"I know, sorry. I left my house a little late because I really wanted to see Emily before school."

"I hear you actually made a move on miss sexy architect." Alison said. "It's about time."

"Tell me about the kiss." Hanna said, excitedly. "Did Emily slip you the tongue last night or what?"

"No. It wasn't like that."

"Lame." Alison sighed.

Spencer rolled her eyes.

"Our kiss was pretty innocent, but it was still the best kiss I've ever had. I was just praying that I wasn't gonna puke on her shoes or something. I was so nervous."

"So does this mean you and Emily are like officially a couple?" Aria asked.

"I hope so, Emily's taking me out to dinner tonight on our first official date. So we'll see how that goes."

"Sounds pretty legit to me." Hanna said.

"I just hope everything goes well. I really want this to work."

"It will. Don't worry so much." Hanna said.

"Thanks, Han. Will you guys come over after school to help me pick out something to wear?"

"If you want to impress Emily, you're gonna need all the help you can get." Alison said. "I'll meet you at your house after school."

Alison then turned and walked off into one of the nearby classrooms.

"Don't pay any attention to her, Spence." Aria said. "I'm sure Emily will love what ever you wear."

"You guys will come over too, right? I want your opinions. This date is really important to me."

"You know we'll be there." Hanna said. "I gotta get to class. See ya later."

* * *

"What do you guys think about this one?" Spencer asked, smoothing out the fabric of her short, black, one-shouldered Christian Dior dress.

"I love it." Aria said.

"So do I." Hanna agreed. "It's a classic little black dress. You look fantastic."

"You can't wear that." Alison said, getting up off of Spencer's bed.

"Why not?" Aria asked. "She looks great."

"I'm just not feeling it." Alison said.

"It's Dior, Alison." Hanna said.

"Does Emily look like the type of girl who knows designers?" Alison said.

"Well...what's wrong with this? What don't you like about it?" Spencer asked.

"Look at the neckline. It draws way too much attention to your chest." Alison said. "Let's face it, Spence you don't really have the boobs to pull off this dress."

"I think you look amazing." Hanna said, placing a hand on the brunette's shoulder. "Emily won't know what hit her."

"I really like this dress…" Spencer said.

"Definitely wear this one. You won't regret it." Aria said.

"That's three against one. Majority rules." Spencer said.

"Fine, don't take my advice." Alison said. "But I'm telling you, girls like Emily are only gonna be looking at two things...boobs and ass and you're not really very qualified in either department."

"First of all, you're stereotyping her and you've got it all wrong. Just because Emily works in the construction industry doesn't mean she's preoccupied with sex. You're just jealous." Spencer said, staring at the blonde.

"You keep thinking that, Spence, whatever helps you sleep at night." Alison said, sarcastically. "You're going to way too much trouble just to lose your v-card."

"It's not about sex, I told you that." Spencer said. "I want to have a relationship with Emily."

"You realize it'll never work out. She works for your family." Alison said. "It'd almost be like your parents are paying her to have sex with you."

"Shut up." Spencer snapped.

"I'm just saying. Don't you think your parents will be pissed off when they find out their architect is doing a lot more than remodeling their house?"

"It's not like she's going to be working here forever. And my parents don't need to know everything."

"You know, now that I think about it, your parents probably won't find out anyway." Alison said. "I mean they'd actually have to take an interest in your life to figure it out."

"If you're not going to be helpful you can just leave." Spencer said.

"Fine. I've got more important things to do anyway." Alison shrugged.

Alison then walked out of the room.

"Don't worry about her, Spence. She's just mad that you met someone you really care about." Aria said, taking Spencer's hand. "Come on. Let's do your hair."

"Do you think I should I keep it up or..." Spencer asked, tugging at her ponytail.

"Definitely let it down." Hanna said. "You've got great natural waves. You'll look gorgeous. Emily won't be able to keep her hands off of you. You'll be lucky if you even make it to the restaurant."

"Hanna..." Spencer sighed.

* * *

That evening when Spencer heard her doorbell ring, she immediately felt extremely nervous, but very excited at the same time.

"You ready?" Hanna asked.

"I think so." Spencer said, taking one last look in the mirror.

"Good. Just relax. You're gonna have a great time tonight." Aria said. "You look awesome."

"Let us know how everything goes tonight." Hanna said.

"I will."

Spencer then headed downstairs. She took a deep breath and opened the door where she found Emily standing on the front porch, absently tugging at a loose thread on the sleeve of her blazer.

"Hi, Emily."

Emily's head immediately snapped up at the sound of Spencer's voice.

"Wow. Spencer...you look incredible." Emily's eyes wandered all over Spencer's body. "Are you...uh...ready to go?"

"I'm ready if you are."

"Great." Emily placed her hand on the small of Spencer's back and guided her down the porch stairs to the car.

Emily opened the passenger side door of her car and waited for Spencer to get in.

"Thank you." Spencer flashed Emily a quick smile before getting into the car.

Emily closed the car door and walked around to the other side.

* * *

When they got to the restaurant, Emily and Spencer both stepped out of the car. Spencer linked her arm with Emily's as they walked inside. They approached the hostess' podium where a slender, middle-aged woman in a plain navy blue dress was standing.

"Hi there. Do you ladies have a reservation tonight?" The woman asked.

"Yes. It's under Emily Fields."

"Here it is. Your table will be ready shortly. Please feel free to have a drink at the bar while you wait. I'll come get you as soon as your table is ready."

"Thanks." Emily smiled and took Spencer's hand as they walked toward the crowded bar to the one remaining empty stool.

"Why don't you sit down?" Emily said.

"You sure?"

"Of course. I can stand. No problem."

"Hi. What can I get for you, sweetheart?" The bartender, a thin, balding man asked, making eye contact with Spencer.

"Could I get a virgin strawberry daiquiri please?" Spencer asked.

"You got it." The man said. "And for you?" He focused his attention on Emily.

"Gin and tonic, please."

"Of course. Could I check your ID, please?"

"Sure." Emily pulled her wallet out of her jacket pocket and took out her driver's license. "Here you are." Emily handed her ID to the bartender.

"Thank you. I'll be right back with your drinks."

When the bartender returned, he placed Emily and Spencer's drinks in front of them.

"Thank you." Emily said, picking up her glass.

"Have you ever been here before?" Spencer asked, looking up at Emily.

"Nope. This is my first time." Emily raised her glass to her lips.

"The food's great."

"I'm glad to hear that because I'm starving."

"So...what does a gin and tonic taste like?" Spencer asked.

"Why don't you find out for yourself?" Emily placed her glass down on the counter and slid it toward Spencer. "I'll look the other way." She laughed.

Spencer picked up the glass and tentatively took a small sip.

"Well...?" Emily asked.

"It tastes how a pine tree smells." Spencer said, scrunching her nose and sliding the glass back to Emily. "I think I'll stick to this." Spencer went back to her strawberry daiquiri.

"Gin's kind of an acquired taste." Emily laughed. "I didn't like it the first time I tried it, but it's grown on me. I remember on my twenty first birthday, my dad bought me my first drink, it was a gin and tonic. I hated it; but it's his favorite, so I choked it down and pretended it was the best thing I'd ever tasted."

"Aw. You wanted to impress your dad? That's too cute."

"Yeah. My dad's always been my biggest role model, he still is."

It wasn't long before the hostess approached Emily and Spencer.

"I'll show you ladies to your table if you're ready."

"Great, thank you." Emily said.

Spencer stood up. She and Emily followed the hostess to an intimate table for two near the middle of the restaurant.

"Here are a couple of menus." The hostess said, placing the menus on the table. "Your waiter will be with you in just a minute. Enjoy your dinner."

"Thank you." Emily and Spencer said at the same time.

As the hostess walked away, Emily pulled Spencer's chair out for her and waited for the brunette to sit down.

"Thank you." Spencer smiled at Emily.

"You're welcome." Emily said, before moving to the other side of the table and sitting down.

Emily and Spencer then began browsing through their menus.

"Everything sounds so good." Emily said. "I don't know what to get."

"I forgot how expensive everything is."

Emily put her menu down and stared across the table at Spencer.

"Spencer, please order anything you want. Money isn't an object. Now, you're the expert, what would you recommend?"

"The chicken marsala is amazing."

"Awesome. That's what I'll get, then."

"Me too. It's one of my favorites."

* * *

"You were right. This chicken is amazing." Emily said, raising her fork to her mouth.

"I told you." Spencer smiled as she lifted her water glass to her lips.

"You know, I'm really glad you agreed to go out with me tonight." Emily said. "It's been a while since I've been out on an official date."

"Well, you sure haven't forgotten how to be sweet and charming."

"Thanks...listen, Spencer, I hope you're having a good time with me tonight because…I…I'd really like to keep seeing you."

"You would?"

"Definitely. I feel like I've really been able to open up to you. I'm lucky to have gotten the chance to get to know you."

"I'm glad I've gotten to know you too. I'm having a great time tonight."

"So…does...that mean...you'll be my...girlfriend?" Emily said, finding herself stumbling slightly over her words.

"I thought you didn't want a girlfriend? " Spencer joked, playfully.

"I didn't, or at least I didn't think I did, but that all kind of went out the window when I met you. What do your friends think about me?" Emily asked. "I've gotten the impression that their opinions probably matter a lot to you."

"They like you. They think you're nice and really cute. Oh and Hanna thinks you have a nice butt."

"She said that?" Emily laughed.

"Yep. Hanna doesn't really have a censor button. She'll tell you exactly what she thinks. Your mom will be okay with us dating, right?"

"Are you kidding? The day she met you, she was all over me to ask you out."

"Wow. Really?"

"Yeah. She said she 'sensed something between us.' And she thought you seemed to like me."

"She was definitely right." Spencer lifted her last forkful of pasta to her mouth.

"Speaking of parents...how exactly do we tell yours about us?"

"They don't need to know. At least not right away. We'll figure out how to tell them eventually, but right now I'm not really that worried about it."

A moment later the waiter returned.

"Can I bring you two any dessert?"

"What would you recommend?" Emily asked, looking up at their waiter.

"The tiramisu is excellent…and big enough for two." He smiled.

"What do you think, Spencer?" Emily asked.

"That sounds fantastic."

"I'll bring that right out, then." The waiter turned and walked away.

When the waiter returned, he placed the dessert plate in the middle of the table, along with two forks.

"Can I get you ladies anything else this evening?"

"I think we're okay, thanks." Emily answered.

"All right. I'll bring your check."

* * *

All too soon Spencer found herself standing back on her front porch with Emily.

"I still can't believe you actually asked me out." Spencer said.

"I've wanted to ask you out for a while now, but I thought for sure that you'd turn me down."

"How could I ever turn you down?"

"I thought you were straight..."

"Yeah, but that night at your apartment, I told you I was curious about my sexuality, I practically threw myself at you and you didn't make one single move on me."

"I wanted to kiss you that night or at least tell you how I felt, but how could I? You just told me that you weren't sure whether you liked guys or girls or both. It wasn't like I could've just jumped you right then and there. I would have felt like I was taking advantage of you and the situation. I didn't want you to feel pressured." Emily reached down and took Spencer's hand.

Without saying anything else, Emily leaned forward and gently pressed her lips to Spencer's as her hands planted themselves on the brunette's hips. Spencer draped her arms over the architect's shoulders and laced her fingers into Emily's hair. Emily tentatively deepened the kiss and slowly opened her mouth. The cool evening air combined with Emily's hands gently caressing the small of her back, sent shivers down Spencer's spine. When the kiss was broken, Spencer opened her eyes and stared at Emily.

"I think I could get used to this." Spencer said, her hands coming to rest flat over Emily's chest, just below her shoulders.

"So could I." Emily agreed.

"Am I gonna get to see you tomorrow?"

"Bright and early." Emily smiled and leaned in to kiss Spencer again. "You'll be here, right?"

"I'll be here all day if it means I get to watch you work. You don't mind, do you?"

"Not one bit...well...I guess I should let you go before you freeze...it's pretty cold out tonight. I'll see you tomorrow morning; if you need anything, just call me."

"Thanks, Emily."

"Good night." Emily then turned to leave.

"Night."


	17. Chapter 17

Hey everyone. Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've been pretty busy lately. I hope you all enjoy the update. :) Feel free to give me suggestions for things you might like to see in this story. I'm having some slight writer's block and could always use some good reader suggestions. Thanks!  
-Fender18

* * *

When Emily returned home that evening, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and turned it on. Emily noticed that she had a missed call from her mother, she slipped her blazer off and dialed her mother's number, after a few rings Pam picked up.

"Hi, mom."

"Hi, sweetheart."

"Is everything okay? You called?"

"Everything's fine. I just wanted to check in with you. I haven't heard from you in a while. How are you?"

"I'm fine. Sorry I missed your call. I had my phone turned off, I was out for dinner."

"By yourself?"

"No. Believe it or not, I had a date. And I have a new girlfriend."

"You do? Emily, that's wonderful. Who's the lucky girl? What's she like?"

"You've met her. I finally worked up the nerve to ask Spencer Hastings out and surprisingly enough, she actually likes me. You were right."

"That's exactly why you should always listen to your mother, Emily. How was your date? I assume you were nothing but sweet and polite?"

"Of course. I was a perfect angel."

"Good. I'm glad to hear it. I just wish that I'd known you were seeing someone earlier today."

"Why's that?" Emily asked as she walked to into her bedroom and set her keys on the dresser.

"I just happened to run into Stephanie this afternoon...it would have been nice to tell her all about your new girlfriend...I would have liked to let her know that some other girl is perfectly happy to have you..."

"You don't have to try to make my ex girlfriends jealous, mom." Emily said, using her free hand to undo the buttons on her shirt. "How's the baby?"

"He seems to be doing well. He's gotten big and looks just like his mother."

"And how's Steph?"

"She seems fine. I didn't really feel much like chatting with her."

"Well...is she married?"

"I didn't ask, but she wasn't wearing a ring, so I doubt it."

"Oh..." Emily said, with a surprised tone as she undid the last button on her shirt.

"You sound surprised."

"I am a little surprised. I just assumed that since she didn't marry me, the guy who got her pregnant would have married her. It just seems like the right thing to do, I think."

"Apparently she was good enough for that boy to sleep with, but not to marry. As proud as I am of you for stepping up and being responsible for her mistake, I'm still glad you're not stuck raising a baby right now. I think Stephanie did you a favor by leaving. You have too much going on to have to worry about raising a baby."

"I guess..."

"Now, enough about Stephanie, tell me about your date with Spencer."

"Well...it was great. I took her to this beautiful Italian restaurant in downtown Philadelphia. We had a really nice dinner together and I can't wait to take her out again."

"I'm glad you had a good time. Spencer seems like a very nice girl."

"She is. I like her a lot."

"And how do her parents feel about you two?"

"They don't know we're together yet...and I'm not so sure they'll be too crazy about it. I think it'll be best if we wait to tell them until I'm finished remodeling their house. It'll be less awkward for everyone if I'm not working there everyday."

"You don't think they like you?"

"They like me as an architect, I just don't know that they'll be thrilled about the age difference between Spencer and I or the fact that I'm a woman. They don't know that Spencer is even interested in women. Who knows how they'll react when she comes out?"

"I would hope that they'd be understanding, supportive and accepting, everything that I wish I had been when you first came out. I still regret not supporting you right from the start."

"It's okay. We're over that now. I'm not angry...I just hope Spencer's parents don't end up totally hating me..."

"Don't worry, sweetheart. Even if it takes some time for them to get used to the idea of you two together, I'm sure they'll see that you're a sweet, caring person and someone that they should be happy their daughter is with."

"Thanks, mom."

"It's the truth, Emily...I'll let you go. I'm glad everything went well tonight. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay."

"I love you."

"Love you too. Bye, mom."

Emily sat down on her bed and leaned her back against the headboard. A few moments later Emily heard her phone chime, she picked it up to see that she had a new message from Spencer.

Thanks again for tonight. I had an amazing time. I can't wait to see you tomorrow morning. :)

Emily smiled to herself as she began typing a reply.

* * *

The next morning, Emily showed up for work happier than she had been in a very long time.

"Seven a.m. on a Saturday morning." Mike groaned. "I could still be in bed. What are you so happy about?"

"I just had a great night, that's all. I finally asked Spencer out on a date. We went to dinner last night."

"That's awesome, Em. Why didn't you tell me before you went out last night?"

"I don't know. I was nervous, I guess. I just wanted to wait and see how everything turned out."

"So...you take her home with you last night or what?" Mike elbowed Emily in the stomach.

"No. It wasn't like that at all and I don't want it to be. Things are different with Spencer."

"You're really going soft, Em." Mike laughed.

"I'm not...it's just that, I have a chance with someone I really like. I'm not about to screw that up by trying to get her to sleep with me right now."

A moment later, Spencer walked downstairs and into the kitchen.

"Morning." Spencer smiled brightly as she walked over to Emily.

"Good morning." Emily leaned in and kissed Spencer. "You're up early."

"I wanted to see you."

"I think I'll just leave you two alone." Mike said. "I'll be outside."

"I think I left the blueprints for the addition in my truck, can you grab them for me?"

"No problem."

"Thanks, Mike."

Spencer watched as Mike walked out the door.

"Remind me, where were we, again?" Spencer asked as she placed her hands on Emily's shoulders.

"I think we were somewhere around here." Emily lifted Spencer's chin with her index finger until their lips met again.

Emily gently ran her hands through Spencer's hair as they kissed. When the kiss was eventually broken, Spencer found herself desperately craving more.

"You know, last night wasn't like other dates I've been on." Emily said, placing her hands on Spencer's hips.

"Why? Because we both kept our clothes on the whole time?" Spencer laughed.

"Wow. That was pretty harsh." Emily laughed. "Though not entirely untrue. It's just that I usually have a tough time opening up to people, but for some reason, it's been easy with you."

"Aw, that's sweet. Now I feel bad..."

"Don't feel bad." Emily leaned forward and kissed Spencer again. "But, I should probably get outside. I've got a lot of work to get done today."

"Feel free to come inside and take a break when you need it."

"Will do." Emily smiled. "I'll talk to you a little bit later."

Spencer watched as Emily turned and walked toward the door.

* * *

That afternoon, Spencer walked outside with four glasses of lemonade in her hands. She walked down the porch steps and to the side of the house. Spencer took a few moments to watch Emily with her crew. Spencer basically ignored the three shirtless men, as she was only focused on Emily in her now sweat-soaked tank top. It was unusually warm for a fall afternoon, but Spencer wasn't complaining one bit. She stared at Emily's tattoo as it glistened with sweat in the bright sunlight.

"Are you guys thirsty?" Spencer asked. "I brought lemonade."

Emily's crew practically swarmed Spencer, they each thanked her and took a glass, leaving one left for Emily.

"And here's one for you." Spencer said, looking at Emily. "You look like you could use it."

"Definitely. Thanks." Emily said as she slipped the hammer she was using back into her tool belt and took the glass from her girlfriend.

"You're welcome. Can you take a break for a few minutes?" Spencer asked as she hooked her index finger into one of the belt loops of Emily's jeans.

"Sure." Emily then turned to her crew. "Why don't you guys take a break and go get some lunch?"

"Cool. Thanks, Em." Mike said. "Come on guys, let's go get some tacos."

"Do either of you two want anything?" Chris asked, looking at Emily and Spencer.

"No thanks. We'll be fine." Spencer said. "I'll take your glasses too."

Spencer took the three empty glasses before she and Emily headed into the house.

"What do you want to eat?" Spencer asked as she placed the glasses into the dishwasher.

"What ever you have."

Spencer opened the refrigerator, then they pantry cabinets.

"Well, I guess we don't really have many options. I could make you some macaroni and cheese."

"That sounds great."

"Would you mind grabbing that box off the top shelf? I can't quite reach it."

"You got it." Emily walked over to the cabinet and took the box off of the shelf.

"So...when are your parents coming back?"

"They should be flying back here tomorrow afternoon. You're okay with not telling them right away about us dating, right? I'm not exactly sure what to say just yet."

"Spencer, I want you to tell them whenever you're ready, but for the time being, I think it would be better if we didn't tell them right away. I don't want them to fire me if they don't approve. I mean I couldn't care less about myself, but I can't do that to my guys..."

"I agree one hundred percent. I really don't know how my parents will react so I think it would be best if we didn't risk it. I definitely wouldn't want to see you get fired. Maybe I can come out to them first and then find a way to tell them about us later."

"I think that sounds like a good first step, but I don't want you to feel like you have rush yourself. It's important that you pick the right time to come out to your parents, one chance is all you get."

"You're amazing, you know that?" Spencer said as she wrapped her arms around Emily. "In just the short time that I've known you, you've shown me more kindness and compassion than I've ever seen in my whole life."

* * *

One week later.

It was early evening when Spencer woke up to find that she had fallen asleep on Emily's couch while watching TV.

Spencer lifted her head up off of Emily's chest and looked over at her girlfriend.

"How was your nap?" Emily smiled.

"Great. I didn't mean to fall asleep, but you just happen to make and excellent pillow."

"Good. I'm glad." Emily protectively wrapped her arms around Spencer's body and placed a gentle kiss on the side of her head.

Just as Spencer began to get comfortable in Emily's arms, she heard her phone chime. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and noticed that she had a new text from her mother.

"Who is it?" Emily asked.

"It's my mom. And she wants me to meet her and my dad at the country club so we can have dinner with Melissa and her fiancé. It's amazing, my parents are never around then the second I get a girlfriend they don't know about, suddenly all they want to do is spend time with me."

"Well, what do you say to just five more minutes with me before you go?" Emily said as she brushed Spencer's hair aside and gently kissed her neck.

"Can we make it ten?" Spencer sighed happily as Emily's lips grazed over the center of her throat.

Emily smiled and moved upward, planting her lips against Spencer's. Spencer closed her eyes and melted into Emily's body as the architect slowly deepened the kiss. Emily lightly brushed her tongue against Spencer's bottom lip. Spencer opened her mouth and her tongue met Emily's for the first time. Emily slowly worked her own tongue against Spencer's, dominating the kiss. A few moments later, Spencer's eyes snapped open when she heard her phone ring again. Spencer hesitantly broke the kiss, pulled her phone from her pocket and answered the call from her mother.

"Hello...yeah mom I got your message...I'm at Aria's...yes I'm leaving right now. I'll meet you at the club in a few minutes...okay. Bye."

"God." Spencer sighed as she stood up and shoved her phone back into her pocket. "I don't understand why I even have to go to this dinner, we'll just spend the whole night talking about my sister's wedding. That's all we ever do. It's so annoying. I just wish I could bring you with me. I'm really sorry that our relationship has to be so complicated."

"It's okay, Spencer. Don't worry. I knew very well that dating a client's daughter wouldn't be easy, but I weighed the options and clearly you came out on top. We won't have to keep this a secret forever."

"I guess you're right."

"Now…go to dinner, you can call me afterward and tell me all about how much fun you had." Emily said, sarcastically.

"Shut up." Spencer laughed. "You're such a jerk."

"Does that mean I don't get a kiss goodbye?" Emily mock pouted.

"You can have one, but only because you're way too cute to say no to."

"That's what I aim for." Emily smirked. "Come here." Emily reached for Spencer's hand and pulled the brunette down on top of her.

Spencer pressed her lips to Emily's.

"I really don't want to go." Spencer said, gently running her fingers over Emily's cheek.

"You can come over tomorrow after I get home from church. We can spend the whole day together."

"That sounds great. I'll see you tomorrow."

"I can't wait. Call me later."

"Okay. Bye, Em."


	18. Chapter 18

The next afternoon, Spencer walked out of her bedroom and was on her way to Emily's apartment when she ran into her mother.

"Hi, honey." Veronica said. "Where are you off to?"

"Oh, I uh...was just on my way over to Hanna's. Why, did you need something?"

"Your father and I are going to head over to club to play some tennis with the Thompson's. I just thought you might be interested in joining us. They have a son your age, you know."

"I know. He's in my math and history classes."

"He's pretty cute, don't you think?"

"I don't know, I guess I've never really noticed."

"You two should get to know each other better. He's really a very nice boy...and he applied to U Penn's pre-med program..."

"I see where you're going with this, but I'm not looking for a boyfriend."

"If nothing else, maybe you can bring him as a date to your sister's wedding."

"Melissa's wedding isn't for like another seven months, mom."

"I know. I just want you to keep your options open."

"Can we talk about this later?" Spencer rolled her eyes. "I promised Hanna, I'd be over ten minutes ago."

"Okay. Have a good time, sweetheart."

"We will." Spencer smiled to herself as she slipped out the door.

As Spencer was getting into her car, she pulled her phone out of her pocket to read a text from Emily that she had just received.

Hey Spence,

I'm running to the grocery store, I left a key under my door mat. Let yourself in, I'll be back soon.

Spencer got into her car and took a minute to reply to the message before driving off.

* * *

When Spencer arrived at Emily's apartment, she walked up to the front door, bent down and retrieved the key from underneath the mat. Not knowing what else to do until Emily came back, Spencer walked over to the book shelf and browsed through Emily's collection of books. Spencer picked up Emily's Bible, sat down on the couch and began looking through it. It wasn't very long before Emily returned home. She walked in the door with a few grocery bags in one hand and a bouquet of one dozen long-stemmed red roses in the other. Emily looked over at the couch where she saw Spencer reading a book. Emily set the bags down on the dinning room table, concealed the roses behind her back and walked into the living room.

"Hey, Spence. What are you reading?"

Spencer looked up.

"Oh, I was just looking at your Bible. Have you read the whole thing?"

"I've read it a couple of times. You know, Catholic family...it was pretty much required reading in my house when I was growing up."

"Oh right, I forgot."

"Spencer, I know church isn't your thing and that's perfectly fine with me. You don't have to pretend to be interested to impress me."

"I've never actually read the Bible. I was just a little curious and since I had some time I thought I'd read a little bit."

"Okay. Just as long as you're doing it because you want to. I don't want you to feel obligated, I hope I'm not coming off that way..."

"You aren't. Not even a little bit. But right now I'm more interested in finding out what exactly you're trying to hide behind your back."

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Emily smiled.

"Yes. As a matter of fact, I would." Spencer stood up.

"Well, I just might be willing to give you what I have here, but..."

"But what?"

"You have to kiss me first."

"I think I could do that." Spencer smirked.

Spencer then leaned forward and gently planted her lips against the architect's. When the kiss was broken, Emily pulled the roses from behind her back and held them out to Spencer.

"These are for you."

"Emily, they're beautiful. Thank you." Spencer smiled and hugged her girlfriend.

"You're very welcome. Pretty flowers for a pretty girl only seems appropriate to me."

"You're so sweet. But you really didn't have to go out just to get me flowers."

"I didn't. I said I was going to the grocery store and I did. How am I supposed to cook you a nice, romantic dinner without any food?"

"You're making me dinner?"

"Yep."

"You are officially the perfect girlfriend. What are you cooking tonight?"

"How does steak and shrimp scampi sound to you?"

"That sounds great and pretty ambitious."

"Well, if there's one thing I know how to do, it's cook."

"Really?" Spencer said, with a slightly disbelieving tone.

"You're surprised that I know how to cook?"

"Well, a little. Yeah. You order out a lot, I just assumed it was because you didn't know how to cook."

"I order out a lot because I hate cooking for one person. It's boring when you're single. But, now that I have girlfriend, I'd be more than happy to cook for you."

"That would be awesome."

* * *

Later that evening.

Emily walked into the kitchen, followed by Spencer, to begin making dinner. Emily reached into the refrigerator, pulling out two New York strip steak fillets and a pound of shrimp wrapped in white paper.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?"

"You just relax. I'll take care of everything." Emily said as she pulled some cookware from one of her cabinets.

"You sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Well, if all I'm doing is watching, will you at least wear an apron for me? I bet you'd look totally sexy."

"Thank you." Emily leaned forward to kiss Spencer. "And yes I will." She laughed.

Emily turned around and pulled a short, black apron off of a hook on the wall and tied it around her waist before pulling her hair back into a pony tail. Emily tuned on one of the front burners of the stove, put the steaks into a pan and turned back around to face Spencer.

"You know, I'm really not sure which you look hotter in...an apron or your tool belt."

"I personally like my tool belt better." Emily laughed. "It feels a lot more natural to me. Carpentry just comes easy to me."

"You're so good at it. I love watching you work. I remember that first morning you and your crew were working at my house. I couldn't take my eyes off of you. I was so nervous to even talk to you. I never would have imagined that I'd actually get to be your girlfriend."

"I'm really glad that your friends set us up at the movies." Emily said as she picked up a small knife and began deveining the shrimp. "That really gave me the extra confidence I needed to tell you how I felt."

"I have amazing friends. We should hang out together sometime. I'd really like for them to get to know you better. I just wish we didn't have to sneak around my parents. You know, my mom tried to set me up with some guy who goes to our country club today. She kept telling me how cute he is..."

"Oh yeah? Is he better looking than I am?"

"No way. I don't think it's possible for anyone to be better looking than you are. You're gorgeous, you know."

"You flatter me." Emily smiled as she began chopping a sprig of fresh mint.

Spencer watched as Emily chopped up some parsley and some garlic, which she then combined with some olive oil and just a splash of white wine. Emily then brushed the steaks with the mixture and combined the remaining mixture with the shrimp and some bread crumbs.

"Okay, as soon as the steaks are closer to being done, I'll cook these shrimp, toss them with a little bit of pasta and we'll be ready to eat. It shouldn't be too long."

"How'd you learn to cook like this?" Spencer asked.

"My mother taught me well and what she didn't teach me, I picked up on my own. It's amazing how fast you learn things when you move sixteen hundred miles away from home. Not only do I know how to cook, I also know how to bake, sew, iron and remove stains out of practically any material, I'm a regular domestic when I want to be."

"I never would have guessed. But, I think it's totally hot that you can go out and do all of this labor intensive stuff, like build houses and then at the end of the day, you can come home, cook dinner and knit me a sweater." Spencer walked over to Emily and wrapped her arms around the raven-haired girl's neck.

"Well actually, knitting's a skill I have yet to pick up." Emily laughed. "But, I might be willing to give it a shot sometime. I could probably handle it. I'm pretty good with my hands." Emily's said, placing her hands on Spencer's waist.

"I know." Spencer smiled as she pressed her lips to Emily's.

* * *

Later that evening.

"Thanks for making me dinner tonight." Spencer said as she moved over on the couch to sit on Emily's lap. "Everything was amazing."

"It was my pleasure. You want to watch some TV or something?" Emily asked as she wrapped her arms around Spencer.

"I do…but I really should get going, I've got some homework that I need to finish up for tomorrow."

"Okay. I guess I'll see you in the morning, then." Emily said, before placing a kiss on Spencer's lips as her fingers gently grazed over the brunette's thighs.

"Well, maybe I can stay for just a few more minutes." Spencer smiled as she leaned in to kiss Emily again.

"I was hoping you might say that." Emily said as she placed a light kiss on Spencer's neck.

* * *

When Spencer managed to get home, she walked into the kitchen and found a vase for the roses that Emily had given her. Spencer filled the vase with water, placed the roses inside and took them upstairs to her bedroom. Spencer set the vase down on the corner of her desk and opened one of her text books. She tried to focus on her homework, but continually found herself becoming distracted by thoughts of Emily. Spencer had been so focused on her daydream, that she didn't even hear her sister enter the room.

"Hey, Spence."

Spencer turned around to find Melissa standing in the doorway.

"Melissa? What are you doing here?"

"Mom sent me up to find out if you're hungry. We're ordering Chinese food, do you want anything?"

"No, I'm fine. I already ate at Hanna's a little while ago."

"Okay."

"Is there some thing else you wanted?" Spencer asked, when Melissa didn't immediately turn to leave.

"Who are the roses from?" Melissa asked, folding her arms across her chest as she leaned against the door jamb.

"Oh, uh…no one…"

"No one? Come on, Spence, you must have gotten them from someone…a boyfriend, maybe?"

"No."

"Who is he? Have mom and dad met him?"

"I don't have a boyfriend, okay?"

"Are you afraid to introduce your boyfriend to mom and dad because you think dad will give him a hard time…because I've been there, it's not as bad as you think. Dad'll hate any guy you bring home at first, but he'll get over it. He wasn't that crazy about Wren when we started dating, but they've bonded and dad likes him now."

"I told you, there is no guy, Melissa. Okay? I don't have a boyfriend and I'm not looking for one either."

"I liked to play hard to get when I was in high school too. Whoever gave you those roses must really like you a lot, don't make him work too hard. Oh and you can invite him to the wedding if you want to."

Melissa then turned and walked out of the room.

* * *

A/N:

I hope you all enjoyed the update. Short, I know. But it's slowly progressing.  
-Fender18


	19. Chapter 19

A few weeks later.

One morning Spencer came downstairs and walked outside where Emily and her crew were already working.

"Hey, Em. How are you?"

"I'm not a big fan of Mondays, but my morning just improved significantly, now that I get to see you."

"You're so sweet."

"Thanks, just don't spread it around. I need to maintain my image. My guys already think I'm going soft." Emily laughed.

"I promise not to blow your cover."

"Thank you." Emily smiled. "So...it's not that I'm not happy to see you because I definitely am, but should you be out here talking to me, right now?"

"Why wouldn't I talk to you? I always talk to you."

"I know, it's just that...your dad's car is still in the driveway, so I assume that he hasn't left for work yet..."

"I'm allowed to talk to you, my dad doesn't suspect anything."

"I guess you're right...sorry for being paranoid."

"It's okay." Spencer smiled.

A few moments later Mr. Hastings walked out of the house, where he saw Spencer from across the yard.

"Hey, Spence." Peter said, approaching his daughter. "I thought you left already."

"I'm getting ready to leave now. I just wanted to check out the addition."

"What do you say you let me drive you to school? We can stop for breakfast on the way."

"That sounds great, but I thought mom said you weren't supposed to be eating fast food."

"Your mother doesn't have to know everything, does she?" Peter said, putting his arm around Spencer's shoulder.

"I guess not." Spencer laughed.

"Good. Oh and Emily, I see you're making a lot of progress on the addition." Peter glanced over at the soon-to-be new family room and bathroom, which now had walls and a partially built roof. "I can't wait until it's finished."

"You just want somewhere to put your new giant screen TV, that you just had to buy, even after mom said no." Spencer laughed.

"In my defense, it was on sale. Who could pass up a sixty inch, HD, LED?" Peter said. "I can't wait to watch hockey on it. It'll almost feel like being at the arena. You much of a hockey fan, Emily?"

"I love hockey. I'm actually a huge Flyers fan."

"Glad to hear it." Peter patted Emily on the back.

"Speaking of the addition, whenever you have some time, I need you and your wife to choose what kind of fixtures, cabinets and counters tops you want for your bathroom. I can leave a catalogue with you if you want to get back to me."

"That would be great."

"Oh and I know we originally figured on just putting in a half bath, but it really wouldn't be much more time or work to add a stand-up shower stall."

"Really?"

"Sure, I'll even do the extra labor for free. All you'd have to do is pay for the shower kit. I can get you a pretty good deal."

"You twisted my arm. Let's do it. You know, you're a good kid, Emily. I'm lucky to have gotten you to do this project." Peter said, a little surprised by the architect's generosity.

"I believe in karma. You get back what you put in to life. Not everything has to be about money."

"Well you certainly do great work. I'll be sure to recommend you to everyone I know."

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate that."

"I suppose we should get going, huh, Spence?" Peter said.

"Yeah. I can't be late for school, I have a test first period."

"All right. Meet me in the car. I forgot my keys on my desk. I'll be right back."

"Okay, dad."

Once Peter was out of sight, Spencer turned around to face Emily again.

"Look at you, bonding with my dad." Spencer playfully poked Emily in the stomach. "You're so cute."

"I just want to be on your dad's good side. I want him to like me."

"Thank you for being so sweet...what are you going to be doing today?"

"I'm hoping to get the rest of the roof built and shingled."

"You mean you'll be up on that ladder all day, again?"

"Yeah..."

"But you know I don't like you having to climb up there. Can't one of the guys do it instead?" Spencer tugged at Emily's tool belt.

"Spence, I'll be fine. I'm a professional, remember? Besides, I have the most roofing experience."

"Well, please be careful."

"Don't worry, I will."

"Good. I'll see you later."

Spencer placed her hand on the side of Emily's face and kissed her goodbye before turning and walking toward the driveway.

"Aren't you two just the cutest couple?" Chris teased.

"Shut up." Emily laughed.

"So, Em..." Mike said.

"So, what?" Emily said, walking over to the ladder that was leaning against the side of the building.

"You hit that yet?" Mike asked, motioning toward the car that Spencer was now getting in to.

"How many times are you going to ask me that?" Emily rolled her eyes. "I've told you a million times that we haven't."

"Just checking to see if anything changed since the last time I asked, that's all." Mike laughed.

"Dude, seriously? Spencer and I haven't even been together for that long."

"That doesn't mean anything to someone who's been known to fuck on the first and probably only date."

"Yeah, well, I'm done with that now. Everything's changed with Spencer."

"You really like her, don't you, Em?" Ben asked.

"I do. She's smart and beautiful and really sweet…she's just amazing. I honestly can't even remember the last time I was this happy."

"Look, Em, I sorry about giving you a hard time about getting involved with her before." Ben said. "You're my friend and I should have backed you up from the start. If Spencer makes you happy, you should be together, it shouldn't matter what her parents might think."

"Thanks, Ben."

"Aw, that's so nice are you guys gonna kiss now or what?" Mike joked. "Get a room."

"Fuck off." Emily laughed. "You're such a dick."

* * *

That afternoon, Spencer met Aria, Hanna and Alison in the cafeteria at lunch time.

"So...how are things going between you and Emily, Spence?" Aria asked as the girls sat down at their usual table.

"Everything's great. We spend most of our time at her apartment, but I don't mind. She likes to cook for me..."

"She cooks for you?" Hanna asked. "That's so cute and totally romantic."

"Emily's really sweet and she's so adorable, she doesn't want anyone to know how sweet she really is. She thinks I'll embarrass her in front of her friends."

"When do we get to hang out with her?" Hanna asked.

"Hopefully soon. I'd really like for her to get to know you guys. Maybe we could all hang out at her apartment some night and have dinner or watch TV or something."

"I'd like to hang out with her." Aria said. "You guys have been spending a lot of time together and I feel like we haven't really gotten the chance to know her yet."

"Why don't we hang out at your house?" Alison asked, looking at Spencer.

"You know why we can't." Spencer said.

"Haven't told your parents you're hooking up with the help, yet, huh?" Alison said, nonchalantly.

"First of all, she's a lot more than just someone who works for my family." Spencer said, defensively.

"I'm not judging, I'm just saying. At least you picked a hottie. I mean if I had to hook up with someone who works for your parents, I would have picked that guy who cleans your pool in the summer, but Emily's not a bad choice."

"Have you thought about telling your parents about your relationship?" Aria asked.

"Emily and I have talked about it and we've decided to wait to tell my parents until after she's finished working at my house."

"Do you think they'll be mad?" Hanna asked.

"I'm not sure. I mean my parents are usually pretty open-minded...but I think my mom will be easier to sway than my dad. My dad's never really liked any of the guys Melissa ever brought home, but I'm really not too sure if it'll be different since Emily's a girl..."

"I don't think it matters how open-minded your parents are." Alison said. "I think they'll probably be pretty pissed off when they find out the architect is boning their daughter."

"Emily and I aren't sleeping together. We've only been seeing each other for a month."

"So what?" Alison shrugged.

"So I'd like to date for a while before we even think about having sex."

"You're so lame." Alison rolled her eyes. "You might not have to worry about telling your parents about your relationship, Emily will probably dump your ass if you don't put out soon."

"Whatever. You don't even know what our relationship is like."

"Really. I don't see you with anyone, Alison." Hanna said. "You're just jealous that Spencer has someone who's sweet, super hot and really likes her."

"Yeah well, all I'm saying is that I kind of feel sorry for Emily. She's probably getting pretty tired of doing it with her hand. If you're not putting out, she'll just find someone else who will. I'm sure there are plenty of girls in this town who wouldn't mind sleeping with her."

"Emily likes being with me. She's never even brought up sex."

"Can't you ever just be happy for anyone, Alison?" Aria asked, glaring at the blonde. "You're always so negative."

"I'm not negative, I'm just being honest."

* * *

Later that afternoon when Spencer got home from school, the sky began pouring down rain, after threatening to do so all day long.

"Okay, guys, let's pack it up." Emily said. "We won't get much more done today in this rain."

Emily's crew quickly gathered their tools and left for the day. Once everyone was gone, Emily walked over to the porch where Spencer was standing.

"Hey. How was school?" Emily asked, leaning in to kiss Spencer.

"Not bad. You let your crew leave for the day?"

"Yeah. It's too hard to lay shingles in the rain and I'm pretty sure I saw some lightning anyway."

"Well…my parents won't be home for at least another few hours. You wanna come inside for a while?"

"What about your sister and her fiancé?"

"Wren's working the night shift at the hospital and Melissa has a late meeting. We're safe."

"Okay then."

Spencer reached down and took Emily's hand, pulling her into the house.

"What do you say you come upstairs and I'll see if I can find you a dry shirt to put on?"

"Okay."

Emily followed Spencer upstairs and into the bedroom. Spencer walked over to her dresser and pulled out a plain gray t shirt from one of the drawers.

"I think this might be a little bit snug on you, but who's complaining?" Spencer said, walking back over to Emily.

"Have you ever actually been to Hooters?" Spencer tugged at Emily's soaking wet, black Hooters restaurant t shirt.

"Yeah. I usually go with my crew, it's their favorite restaurant."

"Gee, I wonder why? What do you think?"

"It's okay, they have good food. I like the wings."

"Sure you do…liar." Spencer laughed.

"What? I like wings."

"Yeah the wings and the naked women who bring them to you."

"They aren't naked." Emily laughed. "And it's not like I go there all the time."

"You apparently go there enough that you felt the need to buy a shirt."

"I didn't buy this. A waitress gave it to me, along with her phone number." Emily smirked.

"Oh my God! You're such a jerk." Spencer laughed and playfully punched Emily in the stomach.

"What?"

"Just take this off." Spencer pulled on Emily's shirt again.

"Gladly." Emily reached down and pulled her t shirt up over her head.

Spencer couldn't help but stare at Emily's abs.

"See anything you like?" Emily asked, catching Spencer staring.

"Possibly." Spencer reached out and ran her fingertips over Emily's tight abdominal muscles.

Spencer leaned forward and kissed  
Emily. Emily placed her hands on Spencer's hips as the brunette slowly slid her hands up Emily's stomach, up her chest and over the architect's bare shoulders. Emily deepened the kiss and slowly slid her tongue into Spencer's mouth. Spencer moaned into the kiss as she buried her hands into Emily's wet hair. As they kissed, neither Emily nor Spencer heard Melissa's car pull into the driveway. After a few minutes, Spencer and Emily were interrupted by the sound of footsteps on the stairs.

"Em, wait…"

"What's wrong?" Emily asked as she kissed Spencer's neck.

"Someone's home." Spencer quickly moved to the other side of the room and looked out the window.

"Shit, my sister's home. You have to hide. If she catches us, I know she'll tell my parents."

"Hey, Spence?" Melissa called out from down the hall. "You home?"

Emily quickly hid behind the door, just as Melissa entered the room.

"Melissa…I thought you had a meeting."

"I did, but it got canceled so I was going to work on the seating chart for the wedding, I thought I'd come see if you'd give me a hand." Melissa said, walking over to her sister.

"Oh, uh…sure." Spencer said, nervously glancing across the room at Emily.

"Great, I'll be downstairs." Melissa said, turning toward the door.

"Melissa, wait." Spencer quickly grabbed her sister's arm, turning her back toward the window.

"What's wrong?"

"I just, uh wanted you to look at a couple of colors I thought would be nice for your bridesmaid dresses."

"Oh, okay."

"Um, over here." Spencer picked up a wedding catalog off of her desk. "What do you think of this blue, here?" Spencer flipped open the catalog and pointed to a random dress.

"It's a little dark, don't you think?"

"There are some lighter colors on the next page, I think."

Spencer slowly backed over to the bed, picked up her gray t shirt.

"Do you like this light blue here?" Melissa asked as she tried to turn around again.  
"Yeah, but you have to keep looking at it." Spencer placed her hands on her sister's shoulders and turned her toward the window again.

"Are you okay, Spence?"

"I'm fine. It's just that, the more you stare at this particular dress, the better it looks. I love this one. Just keep looking at it, soak in the full effect."

Spencer turned around and tossed the shirt she was holding in Emily's direction. Emily caught the shirt and quickly fled the room. Once she was out of the room, Emily all but flew down the stairs. Once she was downstairs, Emily slipped the shirt on and headed outside.

"You know, you're right, Spence. The more I look at this dress, the more I love the color."

"I knew you would." Spencer breathed a sigh of relief.

"Where's Emily?"

"Em…Emily? I don't know, how should I know?" Spencer panicked. "Why are you asking?"

"I saw her truck outside, so I assumed she was still here."

"Well, why are you looking for her?" Spencer asked, nervously.  
"Wren accidentally put a hole in one of the living room walls when he was moving around some furniture, I just wanted to see if I could get Emily to fix it for us. Are you sure you're okay? You seem awfully jumpy today."

"I'm okay. Just a little too much caffeine, I think."

"Take it easy on the coffee." Melissa said as she walked toward the door. "I'll be out in the barn. Come over when ever you're ready."

"Okay."

Once Melissa had left the room, Spencer closed her eyes, took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"God, that was close."


	20. Chapter 20

Emily was just getting into her truck when Melissa walked outside. The rain had subsided to a very light drizzle, so Melissa walked over to Emily's truck. Emily stared through the windshield at Melissa, nervous as to why the elder Hastings sister was approaching her. Emily immediately panicked, thinking that Melissa must have seen her in Spencer's bedroom. As Melissa approached the driver's side of Emily's truck, she tapped on the window. Emily swallowed the lump in her throat as she reached for the button to put her window down.

"Hi, Emily." Melissa said.

"Hi...is there um...something I can do for you, Miss Hastings?"

"It's Melissa and I hope so. Are you in a hurry to leave?"

"Not really..."

"Good. Would you come inside with me for a minute?" Melissa motioned toward the barn.

"Um, sure." Emily's voice cracked, slightly. "What's the problem?" Emily asked as she got out of her truck and began walking toward the barn with Melissa.

"Well, my fiancé was moving around some furniture in here last night and he accidentally put a hole in the wall with one of the end tables. I was hoping maybe you'd be able to fix it for us?"

"I can sure take a look at it." Emily said as she reached out and opened the door for Melissa.

"Thank you." Melissa said as she stepped inside.

Emily followed Melissa into the barn's living room.

"Over here." Melissa said.

Emily walked over to the wall and bent down to examine the damage.

"This should be pretty easy to fix, it's not too big." Emily said as she ran her fingers over the damage.

Emily stood up and looked at Melissa.

"So...uh...was there anything else you needed or..."

"No, that's all."

"Okay, I think I've got some spackling paste in my truck, I can fix it for you right now if you want."

"That would be great. Thanks."

"No problem. I'll be right back."

Emily then walked back out to her truck, where she noticed Spencer coming out of the house.

"Em, I'm so sorry." Spencer said as she approached her girlfriend. "I swear Melissa wasn't supposed to be home until later."

"It's cool. I'm just glad we didn't get caught."

"Me too. But, you have to admit the danger of almost getting caught is kinda sexy." Spencer said as she reached out and ran her fingers though Emily's hair.

"Yeah, but having to explain a half naked architect in your bedroom, not so much."

"You're such a downer." Spencer laughed.

"Sorry." Emily fake pouted.

"Look at that puppy dog face." Spencer smiled. "You're so cute and you look great in my shirt, by the way."

"It pretty much doesn't fit me at all." Emily tugged at material.

"That's why it looks so good on you. I get to see all of your muscles." Spencer slowly slid her hand up Emily's stomach, underneath her shirt as they locked lips again.

"Hey, Spence?" Emily mumbled against Spencer's lips.

"Hm?"

"Are you sure your sister didn't see anything?"

"Positive. If she had, she would have already been all over me about it. I'm just sorry our time got cut short. I was really looking forward to spending the evening making out with you. You're a great kisser, you know."

"We can always go to my place. There's never anyone to interrupt. You want to come over?" Emily leaned back against her truck and placed her hands on Spencer's hips.

"I'd love to, but I already promised my sister I'd help her with wedding stuff. Now I have to do it."

"You can come over whenever you're done."

"Are you going home now?"

"Not yet, your sister asked me to fix a hole in her drywall. So I'm going to do that before I leave."

Emily then walked around to the back of her truck and opened the tailgate. She pulled out a small, plastic can of spackling paste and walked back over to Spencer.

"You should go inside first." Emily said. "I'll stay out here for a minute, then I'll be in to fix that hole."

"Okay."

Spencer then turned and walked toward the barn. She walked inside and sat down on the couch. Emily stood beside her truck and waited. Once she had felt that enough time had passed, Emily walked into the barn.

"So...Spence did you invite your boyfriend to the wedding yet?" Melissa asked as she sat down on the couch beside her sister.

"I don't have a boyfriend. I've told you that."

"Well, are you bringing a date?"

"I don't know, maybe. Just figure one extra person for right now, I'm sure I'll find someone to bring." Spencer said, shooting Emily a quick glance as the architect walked across the room.

Emily walked over to the wall and knelt down. She opened the can of spackling paste and laid a patch over the hole. Emily then smeared some of the paste onto a putty knife and began to cover the hole, smoothly and evenly. When she finished, Emily stood up and walked over to Spencer and Melissa.

"I patched that hole, it'll take a little bit of time for the paste to dry, but I'll sand it down when I get here tomorrow morning. And if you happen to have any paint, I can touch up that spot on the wall when I finish sanding it."

"That would be great." Melissa said, standing up. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"How much do I owe you for fixing that hole?" Melissa asked as she bent down and picked up her wallet from the coffee table.

"Oh, nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. It was really no trouble at all."

"Thank you. My fiancés not exactly handy when it comes to home repair."

"No problem." Emily chuckled. "I should get going, oh and Spencer I just remembered, I have that catalog for your dad out in my truck."

"Oh, okay. I'll come out and get it."

"I'll be right back." Spencer said, turning toward Melissa.

"Okay."

Spencer then followed Emily outside to her truck. Emily opened the driver's side door of her truck, stepped up on the running board and reached across the seat for the catalog. Spencer watched as Emily's t shirt rode up her back. Spencer's gaze then shifted even lower.

"Checking out my ass?" Emily said, when she turned around and caught Spencer staring.

"Maybe."

"What do you think?" Emily smirked.

"I think those jeans look amazing on you." Spencer moved closer to Emily, reached around and slid her hands into the architect's back pockets as she leaned in and kissed Emily.

"Remind me to invest in some more jeans just like these." Emily smiled, before pressing her lips to Spencer's again.

"I'll take you shopping."

"Sounds good to me...but I guess I should probably let you go."

"Okay. I'll see you a little bit later. I'll try to get out of here as soon as I can."

"Take your time. If your sister needs your help, you should help her."

"I'm not sure how long I'll be able to stand her."

"Why? She seems nice."

"Yeah because she hasn't gone into bridezilla mode yet. That's coming any time now, I can feel it. She's been way too nice lately."

Emily laughed.

"All right. Well, good luck. I'll see you later." Emily leaned forward and kissed Spencer on the cheek. "Make sure you give this to your dad, please." Emily handed Spencer the catalog that she had still been holding.

"I will. Thanks, Em."

"No problem."

Emily then got into her truck and backed out of the driveway as Spencer walked back to the barn.

* * *

A few days later, Emily's crew had gone out for a late lunch break, while Emily decided to stay behind and continue working. It was a little after three p.m. when Spencer returned home from school with Aria, Hanna and Alison. Spencer walked around to the side of the addition and opened the newly installed French doors. She stepped inside where she found Emily alone in the empty room, nailing some drywall.

"Hey." Spencer said as she walked up to her girlfriend.

"Hey, Spence." Emily turned around. "I didn't even hear you come in. How was school?"

"It was all right. Nothing too exciting." Spencer leaned forward and kissed Emily.

"How are you guys?" Emily asked looking over Spencer's shoulder at Alison, Hanna and Aria.

"We're good, thanks." Aria said.

"So...what are you doing?" Spencer asked.

"Oh, I'm just nailing some drywall."

"Too bad the drywall's the only thing getting nailed, huh Spence?" Alison said.

"Shut up." Spencer glared at Alison.

Emily looked slightly confused, but didn't respond to Alison's comment.

"Listen, Em, I've got a lot of homework to do. Can I come over later?"

"Of course you can."

"Great. I'll let you get back to work then."

Spencer and her friends headed out the doorway which joined the addition to the house. They walked through the kitchen, into the living room and upstairs to Spencer's bed room.

"Why can't you ever keep your mouth shut, Alison?" Spencer snapped as she closed the bedroom door.

"What are you talking about?"

"Like you don't know. That comment you made about nailing drywall...like that wasn't supposed to be sexual."

"Emily probably didn't even hear it."

"Seriously, Alison, I'm getting really sick of you constantly picking at my relationship with Emily. It's getting old."

"God. Chill out, I was just kidding."

"Well, I don't think it's funny."

"Geez, stop being so overly sensitive to every little thing." Alison said as she sat down on the bed and pulled a magazine out of her book bag.

* * *

Later that evening, when Spencer and Emily had finished having dinner at Emily's apartment, Spencer found herself sitting on the couch with her back pressed tightly to Emily's chest. This was a position that Spencer was often finding herself in the past few weeks and it was most definitely a position that she had grown to love very much. Emily's strong arms wrapped around her body made Spencer feel protected, but Spencer also loved the way Emily's gentle hands caressed her skin.

"Thanks for dinner tonight." Spencer said.

"You're welcome. I told you, I love to cook. Just tell me what you want and I'll make it."

Spencer smiled as she shifted her position on the couch to look at her girlfriend. Spencer leaned over and pressed her lips to Emily's. Spencer closed her eyes as she felt Emily's hands slip down to the small of her back. Emily deepened the kiss and brushed her tongue against Spencer's bottom lip. Spencer happily opened her mouth, allowing Emily to slip her tongue inside. Spencer buried her hands into Emily's thick, dark hair as their kiss became more and more heated by the moment.

"Em..." Spencer moaned into the kiss as she felt Emily's hands travel around to the front of her body and slowly slide up her chest.

Spencer could feel her own nipples straining against her bra as Emily's hands gently caressed her breasts through her shirt. After a few more moments, Emily broke the kiss and traveled lower to kiss Spencer's neck. Spencer groaned softly and leaned her head back as Emily's lips connected with the center of her throat. Emily then began gently sucking on Spencer's pulse point, which sent shock waves directly to the brunette's core. Spencer then lifted Emily's chin until their lips met again. As they kissed, Spencer's hands wandered downward and slowly undid the buttons on Emily's shirt. When she reached the last one, Spencer slid her hands up Emily's stomach, letting her fingers glide over the architect's very well-developed abdominal muscles. Emily slid her tongue back into Spencer's mouth. Without breaking the kiss, Emily laid down on the couch, pulling Spencer down on top of her. Spencer pulled away from Emily for only a brief moment to take in some much needed oxygen. Spencer then placed both of her hands on either side of Emily's face and passionately kissed her again. Emily snaked her free hand up Spencer's back and underneath her shirt. Just as Emily reached to undo the hooks on Spencer bra, Spencer pulled away.

"Em, wait..." Spencer leaned back and placed her hand on Emily's chest. "I can't..."

"Oh God, I'm sorry. I thought you wanted..." Emily panicked as she sat up.

"It's my fault, Em. I think I got carried away. I...uh...have something I need to tell you, but it's embarrassing..."

"Spencer, you know you can tell me anything." Emily said, confidently, though she was a little nervous, not knowing what Spencer had to say.

"You promise not to make fun of me?"

"Of course I won't make fun of you. What is it?" Emily reached out and tucked a lock of Spencer's hair behind her ear.

"I'm a virgin." Spencer blushed. "I mean I really like you and everything and I think I want to have sex, but I'm just not quite ready to go there with you yet."

"Spence, being a virgin isn't anything to be embarrassed about."

"It's just that none of my friends are and you have a lot more experience...then Alison keeps saying that if I don't start putting out, you'll dump me and find someone else who will..."

"No. That's absolutely not going to happen. If you're not ready to sleep with me, I completely respect that. We can wait...as long as you need, I'm not going anywhere."

"You really mean that?"

"Of course I do. I'm really sorry if I made you feel like we were moving too fast. It's just that you've been really aggressive lately when we make out, then Alison made that comment today when I was hanging drywall. I just assumed it was a shot at me because you wanted to go further and I hadn't made a move on you."

"That comment definitely wasn't directed at you, it was a dig at me. Are you sure you're okay with waiting?"

"I'm fine with it. I'm happy with the way things are going. Sex can wait, I want you to be comfortable and absolutely sure before we take that next step, so you're gonna have to make the first move because I won't, okay? It's up to you."

"Thank you for being so understanding." Spencer wrapped her arms around Emily and hugged her.

"Let's promise to not listen to other people and just be open with each other."

"That sounds good to me. So…do you think we can still cuddle for awhile before I have to leave?"

"Sure we can." Emily said as she began to re button her shirt.

"Wait. Leave your shirt open. Just because we're not having sex doesn't mean I can't at least look."

"You got it." Emily smiled as she placed her arm around Spencer's shoulder and pulled her closer.

Emily picked up the remote and turned on the TV as Spencer laid her head on the architect's chest.


	21. Chapter 21

It was just after midnight that evening when Spencer slowly opened her eyes, realizing that she and Emily had both fallen asleep. Spencer glanced down at her watch, realizing how late it had gotten.

"Em, wake up." Spencer turned her body and gently shook Emily's shoulder.

"What's wrong, babe?" Emily asked, groggily as she wrapped her arms tighter around Spencer's body, pulling her closer.

"It's late...we fell asleep."

"What time is it?"

"A little after midnight...I should probably get home."

"How about just a few more minutes?" Emily gently kissed Spencer's neck.

"I think I can stay for just a little bit longer..." Spencer closed her eyes and groaned softly as Emily continued kissing her.

"Do you have any plans for Saturday night?" Emily asked.

"Not yet. Why? Do you have something planned for us?"

"I was hoping that I could take you out to dinner."

"I'd love that."

"Great. I was thinking we could head to Philly for the evening. Where do you want to eat?"

"I'm thinking somewhere romantic."

"How about that French place downtown?"

"I love that place, but it's kind of impossible to get reservations there."

"I think we'll be okay. I can get in whenever I want."

"Really? How?"

"I designed the building."

"You did?"

"Yep. It was one of the first projects I got hired to work on when I moved here from Texas. I mean I had to subcontract some of the actual building work because it was too big of a project for my guys and I to handle, but the design is all mine."

"That's awesome."

"Yeah. I had a lot of fun on that project."

"Because you love your job?"

"That and I was hooking up with the hot interior designer I was working with at the time. She was fresh out of design school in Paris. The restaurant owners wanted a really authentic feel to the restaurant, so they hired a French interior decorator."

Spencer turned around and stared at Emily.

"Do you really think it's smart too talk about exs with your current girlfriend?" Spencer feigned irritation.

"We didn't date or anything. Once the project was done, we went our separate ways. Neither of us wanted a relationship."

"Just casual sex." Spencer rolled her eyes. "Remind me again why exactly it is that I'm dating you?"

"I'll show you."

Emily turned Spencer's head and gently pressed her lips to the brunette's. Emily opened her mouth and deepened the kiss, gently slipping her tongue into Spencer's mouth. Spencer moaned into the kiss as Emily slowly began to massage Spencer's tongue with her own. The brunette placed her hand on Emily's bare stomach as the kiss became even more heated. When Emily eventually broke the kiss, Spencer found herself desperately craving more.

"Was that a good enough reason?" Emily asked.

"God, you're so lucky you're sexy...but if you ever cheat on me..."

"Spencer, I'd never do that to you. Okay? I promise you, I've been one hundred percent faithful in every relationship I've ever been in and I'd be a total idiot to blow a chance with you. Girls like you don't come along every day. I'm lucky to be with you."

"I feel like I'm lucky to have you too. I think we're good together."

Emily smiled and placed a light kiss on Spencer's forehead.

"You should probably be getting home. I don't want your parents to be worried about you."

"Now I don't want to go..."

"I don't want you to either, but I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay..."

Spencer stood up, pulling Emily up with her.

"Here's your coat." Emily picked up Spencer's coat from the arm of the couch and held it out for the brunette to slip on.

"Thanks, Em." Spencer turned around and kissed her girlfriend. "I'll see you in the morning."

Spencer started to walk toward the door.

"Text me when you get home." Emily said. "I want to know that you got there safely."

"I will. Don't worry."

Spencer slipped out the door and headed to her car.

* * *

Upon returning home from Emily's apartment, Spencer unlocked the back door, slipped inside and quietly shut the door behind her. Spencer took her jacket off and hung it on one of the coat hooks near the door before stepping into the kitchen. Spencer pulled her phone out and began typing a message to Emily.

"Hey, kiddo. You're home late." Peter said as he closed the refrigerator door after settling on a snack.

Spencer was too focused on texting Emily that she was slightly startled by the sound of her father's voice, as she hadn't noticed him in the kitchen when she walked in.

"Oh...hi dad...what are doing?"

"Just getting myself a little midnight snack before I head upstairs. You want something?"

"No, I'm good. Thanks."

"Where have you been all night?" Peter asked, casually.

"I was...uh...studying over at Aria's house. I guess we just lost track of time. We've got a huge history test coming up."

"I'm glad you're so focused on school, but try not to push yourself too hard. You need rest too, you know."

"I know. I think I'm going to head up to bed. Oh, but I almost forgot, Emily left this for you." Spencer reached into her bag and pulled out the catalog Emily had given her.

"Thanks. Maybe you can help your mother and I decided on what would look good in the bathroom."

"Sure. I'd love to."

"Great."

"Well…I'll be upstairs. Night, dad."

"Goodnight, Spence."

* * *

A few days later.

Early Saturday morning, Emily arrived at the Hastings' house a little earlier than usual. She was just getting out of her truck when she noticed Peter walking toward her in his jogging attire.

"Hi, Emily." Peter said.

"Mister Hastings...how are you?"

"Oh fine, just heading out for an early morning run. My wife thinks I need to exercise more. You're not married, are you?"

"No, sir."

"You're lucky. Stay single. Wives are such a hassle sometimes, always nagging you to eat healthier and exercise and they're always trying to pick out your clothes..."

Emily laughed.

"I'm sure missus Hastings just wants you to eat well and stay in shape because she wants you around for a long time."

"I guess so...anyway, you're here pretty early this morning."

"Yeah, I wanted to get a head start because I was hoping to maybe leave a little early today, if that's okay with you, of course."

"Sure. You've put in a lot of long hours lately, I don't see any harm in letting you get out of here a little early."

"Thanks a lot, mister Hastings. I really appreciate it. Normally I wouldn't ask, but I sort of have plans tonight."

"Oh yeah? You have a date tonight?"

"Actually, yes."

"Must be a pretty lucky girl to get to go out with a successful, young architect like yourself."

"I don't know about that. I'm pretty sure that I'm lucky to have even gotten a date with her in the first place."

Peter smiled softly at Emily.

"You're too hard on yourself. Go ahead and leave whenever you need to." Peter said. "I probably won't be here. I've got some work to do down at my office."

"Thanks again, mister Hastings."

"You're welcome. I should really get going on my run, but here's to hoping you don't have a room mate, if things go well for you tonight." Peter chuckled and raised his water bottle to Emily.

"Thanks. But I don't think it'll be like that, tonight." Emily laughed.

"One can always hope, I guess." Peter laughed. "I'll see you later, Emily."

"Have a good run."

"Thanks." Peter said as he jogged down the driveway.

Emily turned around and ran her hand through her hair.

_I'm sure you'd have a different opinion of me if you knew it was your daughter._ Emily thought.

* * *

Later that afternoon.

"So, Em where are you taking Spencer tonight?" Mike asked.

"We're going to that French place in downtown Philadelphia. You know, the one we worked on."

"Cool. You know there's a motel right next door. Maybe tonight can finally be the night you get lucky." Mike elbowed Emily.

"Okay, first of all, I'd never take Spencer to a cheap motel and she wants to wait to have sex anyway."

"Why's that?" Chris asked.

"She admitted to me that she's a virgin and she's not ready yet."

"Her being a virgin might actually be good for you, Em." Mike said. "I mean when you do have sex with her, you wouldn't even have to be good. She won't know any better."

"Thanks for the encouragement, dude." Emily laughed.

"I'm surprised she's never had sex." Chris said. "She's hot and no one waits anymore. She'll sleep with you eventually, why bother waiting?"

"Not all hot girls are sluts." Emily said. "Spencer and I talked and her first time seems to be important to her. I know guys usually want to lose their virginity as soon as possible, but it's different for most girls. It usually means a lot more to them. That's why I'm not going to rush Spencer into something she's not ready for or comfortable with. I told her I'm fine with waiting."

"Are you really okay with waiting?" Ben asked. "You must have at least thought about sleeping with her."

"Of course I've thought about it, but when I told her I was fine with waiting I honestly meant it. Spencer's a lot more important to me than sex and it already means a lot that she wants her first time to be with me. We don't need to rush it…besides, I think, I'm...falling in love with her..."

"You haven't told her that, have you?" Mike asked.

"Well no, I mean not yet, anyway. I've been trying to sort my feelings out and the only other person I've ever felt this way about was Stephanie...I just don't want to freak Spencer out or scare her off by saying 'I love you' too soon."

"I had no idea you felt this strongly about Spencer." Chris said.

"I do. It's hard to explain. We've just really connected. She just genuinely seemed to care about me since we first met. I know she's not interested in me for money or sex…I feel like we've known each other forever. I feel like I can tell her anything."

"So you guys are getting pretty serious, then..." Mike said.

"Yeah. I think we are."

"Have you told her about your history with Stephanie?" Chris asked.

"Not yet..."

"Em, you were almost married to her. You guys practically had a baby together." Ben said. "If you and Spencer are going to be a serious couple, don't you think you should tell her?"

"Yes. I absolutely agree with you. And I am going to tell her, eventually. I just haven't found the right time yet."

"You just probably shouldn't wait too long." Chris said. "It'll only make it harder."

"You're right. I know I should have told her from the beginning, but I was afraid she'd think I had too much emotional baggage."

"If you guys care about each other, like I think you do, you'll be fine." Ben said.

"Thanks. I think I'm going to head out for the day. I need to go home and shower before Spencer I go to dinner."

"Does that mean we get to leave too?" Mike asked.

"Yeah, you guys can go too."

"I love that you have a girlfriend now." Mike said.

"Yeah well...I expect all of you here bright and early Monday morning. I don't want to hear excuses." Emily said as she began packing up her tools.

Once Emily had loaded her tools into the truck and her crew had gone for the day, she walked up the porch stairs to the house and rang the door bell. After a minute or so, Spencer came downstairs.

"Hey, Spence. I'm just getting ready to go home. I need to shower and change clothes."

"Can I come get ready over at your place? I'm not sure when my parents are getting home. They'll be suspicious if they see me leaving all dressed up."

"Sure, you can come over."

"Great. I just need to go grab my dress and my shoes and we can go."

"Okay. I'll be in my truck."

Spencer ran up to her bedroom grabbed a garment bag and shoved her dress and shoes into it, along with a few other items. She then went back downstairs and headed out to Emily's truck.

* * *

"I'm gonna go jump in the shower." Emily said as she walked into her bedroom and pulled her shirt off.

"I'll come with you." Spencer smirked.

"In the shower? No."

"Why not?" Spencer pouted. "We could have fun."

"You don't want your first time to be in the shower. Believe me, shower sex is totally overrated. It's cramped and awkward."

"Fine." Spencer frowned.

"No…don't give me that sad puppy dog face." Emily said. "I'm looking out for you. If we do it now, you'll regret it the second after we're done. I know you will. Take it from someone who's first time was less than incredible."

"What happened? What was bad about it?"

"I was just way too young. It wasn't that long after I came out to my parents. I was sixteen and I liked the girl I was dating, but we just rushed into everything too fast. It was her first time too and the whole thing happened so fast, it was over almost as fast as it started. And that's not something you get a redo on. I just don't want you to have the same experience that I had. I know nothing can ever be perfect, but I want our first time together to be close to it as possible."

"Thank you for caring about me." Spencer wrapped her arms around Emily and hugged her tightly.

"Spence…I…I…" Emily pulled back and stared into Spencer's eyes.

Emily wanted to tell Spencer that she loved her, but as hard as she tried, the architect just couldn't get the words out.

"You what?"

"Uh, nothing, never mind…I just totally forgot what I was going to say."

"If you remember, let me know." Spencer smiled as she placed her hand on Emily's chest.

"Okay."

"Will you at least leave the bathroom door unlocked so I can wash my face and do my hair?"

"Sure. Just give me a minute to get in the shower first."

Emily then disappeared into the bathroom. After a few minutes, Spencer entered the bathroom. She wiped the steam off of the mirror with her hand and began to wash her face. As Spencer was washing her face she heard Emily's phone begin ringing from the bedroom.

"Hey, Em. I think your phone's ringing. You want me to see who it is?"

"If you wouldn't mind." Emily said, poking her head out of the shower.

Spencer picked up the phone from Emily's dresser and saw that the call was from Mrs. Fields.

"Em, it's your mom." Spencer called out.

"Can you answer it?" Emily replied. "See what she wants."

"Okay." Spencer called out before answering Emily's phone.

"Hi missus Fields, this is Spencer."

"Hello, sweetheart, how are you doing?"

"I'm great. How about you?"

"Just fine, thanks."

"Emily's in the shower right now, but I can have her call you back when she gets out."

"It's all right, I didn't need anything important, I was just checking in with her. It's been a while since we've talked. I can talk to her tomorrow."

"Okay."

"Do you two have plans for tonight?"

"Actually, we do. Emily's taking me to this great French place in the city."

"The one she built?"

"That's the one. I've been there before with my parents. It's a beautiful restaurant."

"It certainly is. My Emily does wonderful work...but I suppose I should let you go. Make sure Emily is on her best behavior this evening. I expect her to be nothing less than sweet and polite. If she isn't, you let me know."

"You don't have anything to worry about. Emily's always very sweet and perfectly polite."

"I'm glad to hear it. You girls have a good night. Tell Emily I'll call her tomorrow after church."

"I will."

"Thank you, sweetheart. It was nice talking to you."

"You too."

Spencer ended the call, set Emily's phone back on the dresser and walked back into the bathroom.

"What did my mom want?"

"Nothing much, just checking in with you. She said she'd call you tomorrow after church."

"Okay, cool."

When Emily finished in the shower, she pulled her towel down off of the shower rod, wrapped it around her body and stepped out. Emily picked up her clothing from the floor and walked past Spencer and into the bedroom to get dressed.

A few moments later, Spencer entered the bedroom. Emily, who was now wearing a bra with her towel wrapped low around her waist, turned to face Spencer.

"Damn it. You're still wearing a towel."

"You were expecting to see me naked?"

"Well, yeah. I was hoping to."

"We just talked about how we shouldn't have sex yet, didn't we?"

"I was just hoping to get a little preview of the merchandise. I'm capable of looking without touching. I'm just interested in checking out what I have to look forward to.

"I guess no one properly explained the whole homosexuality thing to you." Emily chuckled. "I hate to be the one to break it to you, darlin,' but you're not gonna find anything I have that you don't."

"Well, obviously." Spencer rolled her eyes. "But, you still have a ridiculously hot body. You have way more muscles than I do." Spencer reached out and placed her hand on Emily's stomach, just above her belly button.

"You like that, huh?" Emily smirked.

"Who wouldn't? I know you own a mirror, do you ever look in it?" Spencer asked as she slid her hands over Emily's shoulders and leaned forward to kiss the architect.

Emily placed her hands on Spencer's waist and pulled her closer. As they kissed, Spencer's hands slowly wandered downward as she reached for Emily's towel, but she was quickly stopped by the architect, pulling her hands back upward.

"Damn." Spencer mumbled into the kiss. "So close."

Emily broke the kiss to look at Spencer.

"Relax, hot pants..." Emily laughed. "You know, for being a virgin, you're kind of a horn dog."

"I'm sorry. I'm just anxious."

"Don't worry so much. The right time will come along, eventually. And when it does, you'll be glad we waited. Trust me. Our first time together will be amazing."

"Amazing? So you're good in bed?"

"I've never had any complaints...now, you need to leave so I can get dressed."

Emily placed her hands on Spencer's shoulders and turned her around, toward the door.

"Okay, okay. I'm leaving."

"As soon as I'm done, you can get dressed in here."

"Okay. Thanks."

"Oh and Spencer, don't make me lock this door." Emily gently squeezed Spencer's shoulders, before ushering her out the door.

"I'll try to have some self control." Spencer said, turning around to look at Emily before exiting the room. "But, it won't be easy."  
"You'll manage." Emily kissed Spencer before closing the door behind her.

Emily then walked over to her closet to search for something to wear.

* * *

"Hey, Spence are you almost ready to go?" Emily called out from the living room. "We've only got an hour and a half until our reservation."

Emily walked over to the bedroom and knocked on the door.

"Spence, can I come in?"

"You can come in."

Emily opened the bedroom door to find Spencer standing in front of the mirror on Emily's dresser, touching up her mascara. Spencer had on a tastefully short dark blue, form fitting dress adorned with Swarovski crystals around the neck line. Emily was stopped dead in her tracks as she looked Spencer up and down.

"I'll be ready to go in just a second." Spencer put the finishing touches on her make up and turned to face Emily.

"Do you like the dress?" Spencer asked.

"I love it. You look beautiful, Spence."

"Thank you." Spencer walked over to Emily and kissed her.

Just as Spencer was about to pull away, Emily captured her lips in a second kiss. Emily tangled her fingers into Spencer's hair.

"You're gonna mess up my hair." Spencer mumbled into the kiss.

"Sorry." Emily pulled away and looked at her girlfriend.

"It's okay. You're more than welcome to ruin my hair and make up after dinner if you want to."

Emily smiled softly at Spencer.

"You ready to go?" Emily asked.

"Ready if you are."

Emily reached down and took Spencer's hand as they walked toward the bedroom door.


	22. Chapter 22

When they arrived at the restaurant that evening, Emily left her car with the valet and walked inside with her girlfriend. The pair walked over to the hostess' podium and were promptly shown to their table. Emily stepped behind Spencer and slipped the brunette's, thin cardigan sweater off of her shoulders and hung it on the back of Spencer's chair.

"Thank you." Spencer smiled at Emily. "Would you mind if I went to the restroom?"

"Not at all. Go ahead."

"I'll be right back."

"I'll be here." Emily smiled.

Spencer walked across the restaurant and pushed open the bathroom door, disappearing inside.

"Are you alone tonight?" A waitress asked, approaching Emily's table.

The waitress had a thick French accent, but luckily for Emily she spoke perfect English.

"No, my girlfriend will be back in just a minute."

"Okay, great...can I get you something to drink while you wait for her? A glass of wine, perhaps."

"A glass of red wine would be great. Thank you."

"Certainly. I'll be back in just a moment. But here's a menu for you to look over."

"Thank you."

Spencer looked into the mirror and began fussing with her hair. She smoothed it out, flipped it over her shoulder and moved it all to one side. As Spencer continued fixing her hair, the bathroom door opened and a short-dark haired girl walked in. Spencer didn't pay much attention, as she was too focused on her own reflection.

"Spencer?" The girl said. "I thought that was you I saw in the lobby."

Spencer turned to see Mona Vanderwaal standing beside her.

"Hi...Mona. How are you?"

"Fine. Besides the fact that it's family dinner night and there are a million other places I'd rather be." Mona said, pulling a tube of lipstick from her purse. "Your family drag you here too?"

"No. I'm actually on a date, tonight."

"Anyone I know?" Mona looked into the mirror as she applied a fresh coat of lipstick to her lips.

"I don't think so."

"Who is he? Is he cute?"

"He's actually a she; I'm here with my girlfriend and yes, she's very cute."

"Girlfriend, huh? That tall, built, dark-haired girl you were with in the lobby? Is that her?"

"That's Emily." Spencer nodded.

"Wow. That gorgeous piece of eye candy belongs to you?"

"I wouldn't say she belongs to me, exactly. But, we've been dating for a little over a month."

"I didn't even know you were gay."

"Not many people do...I've been meaning to come out, but I haven't really had the chance yet. Emily and I are kind of trying to lay low for the time being anyway."

"Why? Sweetie, if she was mine, I'd be telling everybody." Mona replaced the lid on her lipstick and looked over at Spencer. "Tall, dark and handsome. Everything I'm looking for in a guy and you've got it in this girl. You're lucky. Why are you keeping her a secret?"

"It's complicated."

"What's complicated about it? I really don't think anyone will have a problem with you being gay. And if they do, screw 'em. Who cares what people think. Are you worried about your parents?"

"Yeah, but it's not about being gay...I really don't care who knows that I like girls, it's just that, my parents can't find out that Emily and I are together, at least not yet."

"Why not?"

"Emily's a little bit older than I am..."

"And by older you mean..."

"She's twenty three."

"That's not bad. So you're into older women. It's actually kinda hot, I think. Your parents will get over the age difference, eventually."

"It's not only the age thing..."

"She's not like fresh out of prison or something, is she?"

"No, not at all. It's nothing like that. She's sort of working for my family. That's how we met. She's an architect and she's one of the people remodeling my house. It started out as just harmless flirting back and forth while she worked and everything just sort of snowballed from there."

"So you're afraid your parents won't approve because she's probably not the country club type?"

"Well, yeah. But, Emily's good to me and I'm going to be with her regardless of what my parents think, we just need to keep it a secret until she's done working at my house. I don't want my dad to flip out and fire her, so please don't say anything to anyone. You're the only one who knows other than Aria, Hanna and Alison."

"Your secret's safe with me, Spencer. Now you better get back out there. You don't wanna keep Emily waiting, now do you?"

"No, I don't. Let's go."

"So...do I get to meet her?" Mona asked.

"Um, sure. If you want to, I guess you can."

Mona and Spencer walked back though the restaurant together. Emily looked up and saw Spencer approaching the table with another girl.

"Hey, Em. This is Mona, she's good friends with Hanna and we go to school together."

Emily stood up from the table and extended her hand to Mona.

"Hi, I'm Emily. Nice to meet you."

"You too."

"Would you like to join us for dinner?" Emily asked.

"Oh, no. I'm sure you two wanna be alone. I wouldn't ruin your date. Besides, I'm here with my parents, anyway."

"I should probably get back to them, but it was really nice meeting you. Have a good night." Mona turned and began walking across the restaurant toward her own table.

"Sorry, I took so long." Spencer said. "I ran into Mona in the bathroom."

"It's okay. I'm just glad you're back. For a minute I thought you might be trying to ditch me."

"I'd never ditch you."

"Good. Here, let me get your chair for you." Emily kissed Spencer on the cheek and pulled her chair out for her.

"Thank you." Spencer smiled. "You're too cute."

Emily smiled as she moved back over to her own seat.

A moment later, the waitress approached the table again and handed Spencer a menu.

"Good evening. May I get you something to drink?"

"I'll just have ice water, please."

"Okay. I'll bring some right over."

"So...this menu is entirely in French." Emily said. "I'm not really all that familiar with the language. Would you mind helping me out?"

"It would be my pleasure."

"Thanks, I've never studied French. I'm pretty good with Spanish though."

"Are you? Did you study it in high school or college?"

"College. I had to take a language to graduate and after living in Texas for a few years, I was already semi-fluent."

The waitress returned a moment later and set Spencer's water down on the table.

"I'll give you two some time to decide. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Okay, thank you." Emily said.

Emily then looked down at her menu.

"I'm like totally lost." Emily said. "I'm just glad the staff speaks English."

"Well what do you usually order when you come here?" Spencer asked.

"I've actually never eaten here before."

"You designed the building and can get a reservation whenever you want, but you've never had dinner here?"

"Not even once. I've never had a girl I wanted to bring as a date, until now."

Spencer couldn't help but smile to herself.

"Hey, Spence, what are 'des civelles?'" Emily asked, struggling a little with the pronunciation.

"Keep looking. You won't like that." Spencer said. "They're baby eels. It kind of looks like spaghetti."

"People actually eat that?"

"It's really not as bad as it sounds." Spencer laughed. "But, I'm somewhat of an adventurous eater. I'll try almost anything once."

"I don't think I'd be that brave. Ever."

"You're just used to more traditional American meat and potatoes type meals, I think. I'm sure that's mostly what your mom fed you growing up. Am I right?"

"Yep. In Texas, we ate steak and that was good enough for us."

Spencer laughed.

"Look under the section at top of the menu on the second page that says, 'plats principaux' those are the main courses. You should be fine with anything that says, 'boeuf,' 'poulet' or 'porc.'"

"I assume that means beef, chicken and pork?" Emily asked.

"Uh huh. And 'poisson' is fish."

Emily glanced down at the menu and looked it over.

"What is bœuf…bourguignon?" Emily asked.

"You'd like that. It's a kind of beef stew. They cook the meat in red wine and usually serve with vegetables."

"That sounds good. I think that's what I'll get."

"Want me to help you pick out an appetizer too?" Spencer asked, reaching across the table and placing her hand on top of Emily's.

"Sure. That'd be great."

* * *

"So...how do you like the food?" Spencer asked.

"It's great. The meat is so tender and you can really taste wine. It's delicious."

"Here. Try some." Emily said, lifting a chunk of beef across the table to Spencer's mouth.

"That's really good." Spencer said. "Maybe you could try cooking something like this sometime."

"I could sure give it a shot."

"Thanks for bringing me here tonight, Em. I'm having a great time with you."

"I'm having a great time with you too. Thanks for helping me out with the French."

"No problem. I've taken French since junior high, it's nice to get to use it."

When Emily and Spencer had finished their dinner, the waitress brought over the check.

"I'll get this." Spencer said.

"No, you won't. I'll get it." Emily said, picking up the check booklet.

"Can I at least pay some?" Spencer asked. "It's expensive, I don't want to spend all of your money."

"I'd never let you pay for dinner. I make a good living. It's no big deal." Emily pulled her wallet out of her pants pocket and slipped her bank card into the slot of the leather booklet.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive." Emily stood up and leaned across the table to kiss Spencer.

"Thank you."

"You're very welcome."

* * *

"Do you want to go back to my place to change before I take you home?" Emily asked, glancing over at Spencer in the passenger seat as they arrived back in Rosewood.

"My parents aren't home. I texted my mom .She said, she and dad are at the country club. They won't be home until late, so we can just go over to my house."

"Okay."

After a few minutes, Emily pulled up to the Hastings' driveway.

"Good. Melissa isn't home either." Spencer said, noticing her sister's car wasn't in the driveway. "You wanna walk me to the door?"

"I'd love to." Emily turned into the driveway and parked beside Spencer's SUV before shutting the car's engine off.

Emily got out of her car and walked around to the passenger's side. She opened Spencer's door and extended her hand downward to help the brunette out. Emily and Spencer walked hand in hand to the front door.

"I seriously had the best time with you tonight." Spencer said. "And you look totally cute in this sweater too. I love you in argyle." Spencer patted Emily's stomach.

"Thanks." Emily smiled as she placed her hands on Spencer's hips. "You know, you look absolutely beautiful, tonight, Spencer." Emily reached up and gently brushed a lock of Spencer's hair away from her face.

Emily then leaned down and captured Spencer's lips with her own. Spencer slowly slid her hands up Emily's chest and tangled her fingers into the architect's hair. As they kissed, neither Emily nor Spencer saw Melissa coming out of the barn. Melissa noticed a car in the driveway that she didn't recognize, but assumed it belonged to one of Spencer's friends. Melissa closed the barn door behind her and began walking across the yard. Only then did she glance up, where she saw her younger sister standing on the front porch, in a lip lock with the family's twenty three year old architect. Melissa's eyes widened and she was stopped dead in her tracks by the sight.

"You wanna come over tomorrow?" Emily asked, once the kiss was broken.

"Sure. How about sometime tomorrow afternoon?"

"I'll call you when I get home from church."

"Okay, but make sure you call your mom first. I don't want her to think I'm taking her baby away from her."

"Don't worry, I'll call her." Emily smiled. "I guess I should get home...goodnight, Spence." Emily leaned in and pressed her lips to the brunette's one more time.

"Goodnight."

Emily then turned and walked down the porch stairs. Melissa quickly stepped behind Spencer's SUV, to avoid being seen by Emily. Spencer sighed happily as she watched Emily's car back out of the driveway and speed off into the night.


	23. Chapter 23

A/N:

Brightstars:

"I had a dream you updated this storybtoday, so please make that dream come true! Haha. I just love this story so much. Emily is falling so hard for Spencer and it's too cute :) I hope Melissa doesnt out Spencer and Emily..."

It's a little late in the evening, but here you go. Hope you enjoy the update. :)

-Fender18

* * *

Once Emily's car was out of sight Spencer turned and went into the house. She walked upstairs, though she was still feeling slightly weak in the knees. Spencer flopped down on the bed and sighed happily as she replayed the evening over and over in her mind. A few minutes later, Spencer heard a knock at the bedroom door. She sat bolt upright on the bed.

"Hold on a second. " Spencer called out. "I'm changing."

Spencer scrambled to her feet and kicked her heels off into the closet. She struggled to get her dress off, but when she finally did, Spencer threw it into the closet as well. She then made a beeline for her dresser where she grabbed a pair of shorts and a t shirt and quickly slipped them on.

"Okay. You can come in now." Spencer dove back onto her bed and opened her laptop.

Melissa opened the door and stepped inside.

"Melissa?" Spencer said. "Did you just get home?"

"No, actually I've been in the barn all night, looking at wedding catalogs."

"But, your car wasn't in the driveway." Spencer immediately panicked.

"I know. Wren drove it to work, his car is at the repair shop until tomorrow. Where were you tonight? I mean you are just getting home, aren't you? I thought I heard a car in the driveway and yours hasn't moved all evening."

"I was over was over at Hanna's. She dropped me off a few minutes ago, that's probably the car you heard." Spencer said, calmly.

"Probably. I guess that was also Hanna you were making out with on the front porch then?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Spencer said, faking confusion.

"I think you do...why don't you explain to me exactly why it is that you were kissing our architect."

At this point, Spencer knew she was in too deep and might as well confess.

"Look, Melissa, the truth is...Emily and I have been seeing each other, okay? There are you happy?"

"Are you crazy? She's way too old for you…"

"She's only twenty three. It's not that much older."

"She's my age, Spencer. How long has this been going on?"

"We started dating about a month ago."

"Are you having sex with her?" Melissa asked, utilizing the most serious tone Spencer had ever heard coming from her sister.

"No!" Spencer answered quickly. "I've never had sex with her, I'm still a virgin. But, even if Emily and I were having sex, it's not anyone else's business." Spencer said, defensively. "I'm eighteen, I can do what I want."

"Okay. You're right. You're an adult, you can make your own decisions." Melissa said as she sat down on the bed next to her sister. "But you realize if dad finds out you guys are dating, he'll kill you...if he doesn't kill Emily first."

"You can't tell, Melissa. Please. I don't ask you for much. Promise me you won't say anything. Just until Emily's done working here, I don't want to get her fired..."

"Relax. I won't say anything. It's not my place to tell mom and dad."

"Thank you." Spencer said, gratefully. "You have no idea how much that means to me."

"How did you and Emily end up getting together, anyway? Did she hit on you?"

"Not really. Everything was kind of mutual. We started out just talking a lot, I mean she's been here pretty much every day. We started getting to know each other and everything sort of went from there. But I never actually thought things would go beyond flirting."

"Why didn't you ever tell me that you were gay?"

"Why would I? We haven't really been all that close these last few years, Melissa. Besides mom and dad, you're probably the last person I would have ever told. I thought you'd make fun of me."

"I would never make fun of you or anyone else for being gay. You should know me better than that. You could have talked to me. I wish you would have."

"I didn't really even know for sure myself, until recently. I mean I was always questioning, but Emily was really easy for me to talk to. She helped me figure things out..."

"Okay. Well, I guess I'm glad you were able to talk to someone, at least."

"Now that this is all out in the open, can I ask you a question?"

"What is it?"

"What do you think about Emily? Honestly."

"Obviously, I don't know her as well as you do, but I think I understand why you're attracted to her. She's cute and she seems nice enough. You're just lucky I was the one who caught you guys. If dad came home to find Emily with her tongue shoved down your throat, she probably wouldn't have a job come Monday morning."

"So...you think mom and dad are going to be mad when we do tell them?"

"Not about you being interested in women. I think they're pretty open-minded about that sort of thing, but I think you and Emily dating is another issue entirely. I don't think dad is going to be too thrilled to find out someone he hired is hooking up with you."

"That's what I'm afraid of...I wish things didn't have to be so complicated. I just don't want dad to be angry at Emily. She doesn't deserve that. She's been nothing but sweet and kind to me since the day I met her."

"You like her a lot, don't you?"

"You have no idea, Melissa. I've never met anyone like her. I love going out with her. She's perfect. Like tonight she took me to a beautiful dinner in the city, she holds my hand, opens doors for me and pulls out my chair and everything."

"Maybe you can get Wren to take a few lessons from her. I love him and everything, but he hasn't exactly been very romantic lately..."

"I'll see what I can do." Spencer laughed.

"I can't believe that all along Emily has been the secret 'boyfriend,'" Melissa made air quotes. "You've been hiding from everyone. Does anyone besides me know?"

"Just a few of my friends and Emily's parents."

"And her parents are okay with everything?"

"Yeah, but it's not like they could really do anything if they weren't, they live in Texas."

"Oh. So you haven't met them."

"I met Emily's mom once when she was in Rosewood visiting, but that was before we were dating…so you promise you won't say a word to mom and dad?"

"I told you I wouldn't. You need to come out to them on your own. But you and Emily better start being more careful or they'll find out without any help from me."

* * *

The next morning.

Emily was sitting at her desk sketching onto a sheet of paper when her cell phone rang. Emily picked up her phone from the corner of her desk and answered it.

"Hi, mom."

"Hi, honey. How are you doing?"

"I'm great. How are you and dad?"

"We're fine. Did Spencer tell you that I called last night?"

"She did. I was actually going to call you this morning, I just wasn't sure you'd be home from church yet."

"Your father and I just got home...so, how was your date last night?"

"Spencer and I had a great time. I really like being with her."

"That's so good to hear, Emily. It's about time you found yourself a nice girl. You deserve it."

"Thanks, mom. I really can't even remember the last time I was this happy."

"You should bring Spencer down to Texas to meet your father. If you two are getting serious about each other, I think your dad and I would both like to get to know her."

"Relax, mom. Spencer and I are still working on getting to know each other." Emily laughed. "I don't want to put that kind of pressure on her just yet, it's not like we're getting married."

"Well, you two are still more than welcome to come visit any time, regardless."

"Believe me, I'd love to bring Spencer home to spend some time with you and dad; but I think we'd better at least tell her parents we're together before I take their daughter half way across the country."

"I suppose that might be a good idea." Pam said. "So now that you've got your love life straightened out, how's work going?"

"It's going pretty well. I'll be finished with the Hastings' house pretty soon and while I'm still working on that, I'm also working on another job designing a new strip mall in Philadelphia."

"That's great, honey. How long will that take to build?"

"A few months, at least, but construction isn't even scheduled to begin until spring time and I'm not even building it. I'm just doing the design. It's too big of a job for me to handle, I don't have the people or the equipment to do it. But, I've got a few other smaller jobs lined up for me and my crew. Looks like I'm going to be pretty busy these next few months."

"I'm not surprised. Who wouldn't want you working for them? I'd hire you in a minute."

"You have to say that though, you're my mom."

"I'm saying it because it's true, Emily."

"Thanks, mom. I'm really hoping when things start to slow down a little bit, I'll be able to come see you."

"That would be wonderful."

A few moments later Emily heard a knock at her door.

"Hey, mom, someone's at the door, can I call you back later?"

"Of course, sweetheart. I'll talk to you later. I love you."

"I love you too. Bye, mom."

"It's open." Emily called out from the living room, setting her phone back on the desk.

Spencer opened the door and walked inside where she found her girlfriend sitting at her desk with a pencil and paper in front of her, along with other assorted drafting tools.

"Hey." Spencer said as she walked over to her girlfriend. "What are you up to? Working hard, huh?"

"As usual. I'm just getting a little bit of drafting done."

Spencer leaned over Emily's shoulder and looked down at her girlfriend's sketches.

"Well...can I touch your T-square?" Spencer asked in a seductive tone as she slid her hands down Emily's chest and kissed her cheek.

"Is that supposed to be code for something?" Emily leaned back in her chair and looked up at Spencer.

"Maybe."

Spencer spun Emily's desk chair around and straddled one of her girlfriend's knees as she placed her hands on Emily's shoulders.

"Think you can take a break?" Spencer asked, running her right hand through Emily's hair.

"For you? Absolutely...Come here." Emily patted her lap.

"Gladly." Spencer smiled as she sat down on Emily's lap and swung her legs over one of the chair's arms.

Emily wrapped her arms around Spencer's body.

"So...what are we gonna do today?" Emily asked as she gently kissed Spencer's neck.

"This works for me." A slight moan escaped Spencer's lips as she felt Emily lightly suck on her pulse point.

"You know, I had...an amazing time with you...last night." Emily said, in between kisses to Spencer's neck.

"I had an amazing time with you too." Spencer smiled, just before Emily's lips captured hers again.

Spencer shifted her weight across Emily's lap and laced her fingers into the architect's hair as she felt Emily's tongue swiftly slip into her mouth. After a few long moments, Spencer broke the kiss and placed her index finger on Emily's chin.

"You're a great kisser." Spencer said.

"You think so?" Emily smirked.

"Definitely. You actually know how to use your tongue, unlike every guy I've ever kissed."

"How many guys have you kissed?" Emily asked.

"Not a lot, really. But they all just kind of slobber all over you...it's such a turn off. That's why I like kissing you, you're so much better at it."

"I could always use some extra practice." Emily said, leaning forward to kiss Spencer again.

"I'm really glad you're in such a good mood, today." Spencer said, when the kiss was broken.

"Oh yeah? Why's that?" Emily smiled as she wrapped her arms tighter around Spencer's body.

"Because I need to talk to you..."

"Well, there's a sentence you never want to hear from your girlfriend...what's wrong?"

"Last night...when you took me home...my sister sort of caught us making out. She totally ambushed me as soon as I went into the house."

"Oh God." Emily's eyes widened. "Why didn't you call and tell me this last night? What are we gonna do? What if she tells your parents? I'll probably get fired...my guys will hate me. This is all my fault..."

"Em...calm down." Spencer placed her hands on either side of her girlfriend's face. "It's okay. Melissa promised me she won't tell."

"Are you sure she won't say anything?"

"She said she wouldn't and I believe her. We haven't always had the best relationship, but I really don't think my sister would screw me over like that."

"Does Melissa totally hate me?"

"Of course not." Spencer gently stroked Emily's cheek with her thumb. "I don't know how anyone could ever hate you. You're so sweet."

"So...is Melissa like okay with us being together?"

"Yeah. She seems to be."

"I guess we're gonna have to be a lot more careful if we don't want your parents to find out, but I really hate lying."

"We'll be okay. I'm sure last night was just a fluke. Don't worry so much." Spencer wrapped her arms around Emily's neck and kissed her. "But speaking of parents, did you call your mom today?"

"She called me first. She wants me to bring you down to Texas sometime to visit."

"Really? I'd love to visit your parents."

"I'm glad, but I told my mom we better worry about coming out to your parents, before we do anything."

"I guess you're right. I'm sorry all of this has to be so hard. It isn't your fault my family sucks."

"Don't say that. No matter what they might think of me, they're always going to be your family."

"I know and I hope you realize that I don't care what they might think about our relationship. I love every minute we spend together."

"So do I, Spence."

As Spencer sat on Emily's lap enjoying her girlfriend's company, Emily felt Spencer's cell phone vibrate from her pocket.

"I think your phone's vibrating…" Emily said. "At least I hope that's your phone." She laughed.

"Of course it is." Spencer playfully slapped Emily's shoulder before fishing her phone out of her pocket.

"Is it important?"

"Not really. It's just Hanna. She usually picks the most inconvenient times to call or text me. It's like she has a sixth sense for knowing when I'm busy." Spencer typed a quick reply and shoved her phone back into her pocket. "I am hoping for you to get to spend some time with my friends though."

"I'd love to. I'd like to get to know your friends. We'll have to pick a time. They can always come over here. Maybe we can order food and just hang out or watch a movie or something. I finally bought a new DVD player so we can watch a movie out here."

"I kinda like watching movies in your bed."

"Me too, but I like just you and I being in there."

"So do I."

"Then again, we might want to reconsider, it might be fun…I haven't had more than one girl in my bed at a time since college…" Emily laughed.

"I really hope you're joking." Spencer glared at her girlfriend. "You haven't seriously ever had sex with more than one person at a time, have you?"

"Relax. I'm just kidding with you, Spence. I've never done anything like that. You're so easy to get riled up, it's cute."

Spencer just shook her head.

"Anyway. Maybe we could all hang out next weekend? I kinda feel like being selfish and keeping you all to myself today."

Emily smiled.

"That works for me. Talk to your friends and let me know. Just give me enough notice so I can at least try to clean up a little bit."

"Deal."

* * *

Monday morning, after Spencer had gone to school, Emily was getting ready to start work for the day when she spotted Melissa walking out of the Hastings' house.

"Emily." Melissa said.

"Hi, Melissa." Emily said, nervously swallowing the lump in her throat. "What can I do for you?"

"I was hoping that I could talk to you for a minute."

"Sure."

"Come inside with me." Melissa turned and walked toward the barn, with Emily following closely behind.

When they got inside, Emily followed Melissa into the living room.

"Sit down." Melissa said, stopping in front of the couch.

Emily did as she was told.

"If this is about Spencer and I, I'm sorry about not telling your family. I hate being dishonest, but I really do care about Spencer. I know you probably don't care about my history, but it's been a really rough past few years for me in the relationship area. I didn't think I'd ever find anyone out there for me, but then I met Spencer and she changed my entire outlook..."

"Listen, Emily, I think you're sincere and I know Spencer likes you a lot." Melissa said as she sat down next to the architect. "Unfortunately, I'm not the one you need to convince."

"I understand. I just wanted you to know that. And Spencer and I are planning on telling your parents about us soon..."

"It's okay. I don't blame you for not telling them, yet. They're extremely difficult to please, especially my dad. He's grilled every single guy I've ever brought home and I'm not sure he'll be too thrilled about Spencer dating someone who's five years older. When I was sophomore, I dated a senior for a while and even though he was only two years older, my dad totally flipped out about it. So, I just wanted to say, don't be discouraged if my father doesn't immediately love the idea of you and Spencer as a couple. It's probably going to take some time for him to warm up to you. Don't let him intimidate you."

"I'll try my best…do you think your parents will freak out when they find out Spencer's gay?"

"No. If there are issues, it won't be with her liking women. I can pretty much guarantee that. Now, I promised Spencer I wouldn't tell my parents and I won't, but you two need to be careful. My parents have a way of finding things out. They're lawyers, it's what they do."

"Thank you for keeping our secret. You have no idea how much I appreciate it. I just want you to know, I'm not keeping this a secret for my own sake. I couldn't care less if I got fired, Spencer is worth it to me, but I can't risk my crew's jobs. I'm honestly not trying to be selfish, it's just that, if I get fired, they're out of a job too and I can't do that to them. Those guys work hard for me every single day."

"It sounds like you're anything but selfish." Melissa said, placing her hand on Emily's shoulder. "I definitely understand what Spencer sees in you."

"Thanks." Emily said, staring Melissa in the eyes.

"I really have to finish getting ready for work, but I just wanted to make sure I talked to you."

"I should probably get working too." Emily said, standing up. "Thank you again for not outing us to your parents."

"You're welcome. I already told Spencer, it isn't my place."

"I guess I'll see you later." Emily said as she walked toward the barn door.

"Seems like we'll probably be seeing a lot of each other." Melissa said.

Emily gave Melissa a small smile before disappearing back outside.


	24. Chapter 24

I know you guys want Emily and Spencer to have sex soon and I have the idea for the scene planned out already. It'll happen, eventually. Just be patient. I promise you guys, I'll make it worth the wait when the time comes. :)

-Fender18

P.S. in response to this review:

"Rachel:Please update, I've got exams, and all I can think about is when you're  
gonna update. Its really distracting, please update as soon as you can! I will  
be very grateful!"

Rachel, here you are and good luck with exams. :)

-Fender18

* * *

The next morning, Spencer got dressed for school and headed downstairs. She walked across the yard to the driveway, where Emily's truck was just pulling in.

"Hey, Em." Spencer smiled as her girlfriend got out of the truck.

"Hey." Emily walked over to the brunette and kissed her. "How are you?"

"Good." Spencer smiled as she pulled away from Emily. "You smell nice. Like really outdoors-y. What are you wearing?"

"Pine tree air freshener from the car wash." Emily laughed.

"Are you kidding?" Spencer laughed.

"Nope. I washed my truck last night after work and bought an air freshener. I guess it's a little overpowering. But, on the bright side, it looks like I won't need to be investing in any expensive perfume. I can just get a two pack of those things." Emily pointed over her shoulder to the air freshener hanging from her rear view mirror. "For like a buck fifty."

"Funny." Spencer laughed. "Well, I'd really like to stay and talk, but I have to get going." Spencer reached up and placed her hand on Emily's cheek. "I have a before-school hockey workout. If I'm late my coach will probably make me do like fifty push ups to make up for it."

"Well…I'll do a hundred push ups if I can get a kiss goodbye."

"I think you deserve at least one kiss...and I'd definitely like to see you get down and do those hundred push ups, by the way."

Spencer leaned forward and pressed her lips to Emily's.

"Totally worth one hundred push ups." Emily smiled.

"Good. Because I'm gonna hold you to that promise."

"No problem. I'll even let you sit on my back while I do them."

"I think I just might take you up on that." Spencer smirked.

Emily stepped over to Spencer's Mercedes, opened the driver's side door and motioned for Spencer to get in.

"You're so unbelievably adorable." Spencer poked Emily in the chest, before getting into her car. "I'll see you later."

"Okay. Bye, Spence."

Emily then closed Spencer's door and watched her drive off.

* * *

That morning, after her hockey work-out, Spencer was met at her locker by both Hanna and Aria.

"Hey, Spence." Hanna said. "You wanna walk to class together?"

"Sure." Spencer replied. "I'm glad you guys are here, I wanted to ask you something." Spencer shut her locker and turned to face her friends.

"What is it?" Aria said.

"I was wondering if maybe you guys would be up for doing something with Emily and I this weekend? I was thinking we could go over to her apartment, rent a movie, order some food and just hang out. I'd really like for you guys and Emily to get to know each other a little better and we haven't had a lot of time to really get together."

"Well, I'm definitely in." Hanna said.

"So am I. I'd love to hang out with you and Emily." Aria said. "What day were you thinking?"

"How about Friday night? Around like seven thirty? Does that work for you guys?"

"Sounds good to me." Aria said.

"Me too." Hanna agreed.

"Cool. That should give Emily enough time to get home and shower and stuff after work."

"Did you invite Alison?" Aria asked.

"No, but I guess I will. She'll probably complain if I don't." Spencer said. "I'll just hope she's busy."

"Has she been giving you a hard time about being with Emily?" Aria glanced over at Spencer.

"Not really about being with her, exactly. Alison's just annoying about the whole Emily and I not sleeping together thing."

"Don't let her get to you. It's not worth it." Aria said, placing her hand on the taller brunette's shoulder.

"I know I shouldn't let her bother me, but she's just so irritating sometimes."

"Listen, Spence, what you Emily are doing…or in this case, aren't doing isn't any of Alison's business." Hanna said.

"Thanks, guys."

* * *

Friday afternoon.

"You about done for the evening?" Spencer asked, walking into the addition where Emily was packing up her things.

"Yeah. I ended up getting a little behind today. I even worked through lunch...But I've gotta get home, shower and clean up my apartment before your friends come over. I was expecting to be done with work way earlier today."

"I can come help you straighten up."

"You wouldn't mind?"

"Not at all. I'll clean up your apartment while you shower. That's not a problem."

"You're amazing, you know that?" Emily placed her hand behind Spencer's head and kissed her. "Just let me throw my stuff in the truck and we can go."

"Okay. We should probably stop and get movie on the way back to your place."

"What are we watching?"

"What would you like to watch?"

"Whatever you feel like. I'll even watch a sappy romantic, completely unrealistic chick flick, if you want."

"I think I'd rather watch a horror movie or something. I'm not really a chick flick kind of girl."

"A horror movie sounds good to me."

"You'll let me hold on to you if it gets really scary, right?"

"You can count on it."

"Perfect. I'm gonna rent the scariest movie I can find."

"Okay." Emily laughed as she bent down and picked up her tool box in one hand.

Emily reached for Spencer's hand with her free one, lacing their fingers together. Spencer and Emily then contently walked to Emily's truck, hand in hand.

* * *

"Why don't you go jump in the shower?" Spencer said when she and Emily walked into Emily's apartment. "I'll start straightening up the living room..."

"Are you really sure you don't mind tidying up? I feel bad having you clean up my apartment…"

"I don't mind at all. But it kinda looks like I've got my work cut out for me." Spencer laughed as she looked at a pile of random laundry strewn about on the couch.

"Are these clean?" Spencer asked, bending down to pick up a black pair of underwear from in between the couch cushions.

"Yes." Emily took the garment from her girlfriend. "All of that stuff is clean. I just haven't gotten around to folding it and putting it away."

"I'll do that for you…but, I think I'll start with these magazines." Spencer bent down, picked up a stack of disorganized magazines and began to sift through them, reordering them alphabetically.

"What's this?" Spencer asked, sarcastically, coming across a copy of Sports Illustrated, swim suit edition.

Spencer turned the magazine around so that Emily could see the cover.

"I, uh...bought that a long time ago. I don't look at it."

"Yeah, right." Spencer said skeptically. "Look at the date. This is the most recent issue."

"Well…I haven't looked at it in a long time. I forgot I even had it."

"So...you won't mind if I throw it away, then?"

"You shouldn't throw it away...I paid like ten bucks for that magazine." Emily laughed. "That's the most expensive magazine I'll ever buy."

"I'll buy you new magazines. Ones that don't have half naked women in them."

"Spence, if it bothers you that much, I'll get rid of this, okay?" Emily said sincerely as she took the magazine from her girlfriend. "But, I don't really understand why it bugs you."

"It's just that...I know you didn't buy this for the fashion and look at these girls, with their perfect bodies and huge boobs. I can't compete with that."

"Why do you think you need to? I like you just the way you are."

"Really?"

"Of course I do. And you know these photos have probably been through a lot of retouching…I'm sure they're barely even real."

"You're probably right." Spencer smiled weakly. "But I want to ask you something."

"Ask me anything."

"I want you to be honest…do you look at stuff like that because you're frustrated with us not having sex and you need something to...I mean do you like think about other girls when you..."

"No." Emily cut Spencer off. "And no."

"You're positive that you don't mind not sleeping together? I know I probably give you some mixed signals at times and…"

"Spencer, it's fine. Really." Emily placed her hands on her girlfriend's shoulders. "When I said I'd wait for you, I meant it. I promise. I'm so blessed to be in a relationship with a beautiful girl who I care a lot about. I'm not about to rush things or do anything to screw that up." Emily leaned in and kissed Spencer on the forehead. "Trust me."

"Thanks, Em."

"I'm gonna go get in the shower, but if it'll make you feel better, I'll get rid of this." Emily opened the magazine to the middle, then tore it in half, horizontally, before tossing it into the trash can near her desk.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. You're the only girl I want." Emily smiled at Spencer, before turning around and disappearing into the bathroom.

Spencer then continued picking up Emily's apartment. Spencer picked up the blanket that was on the couch and folded it, before tossing it over the back of the couch. She straightened the pillows, then folded Emily's clothing. Spencer took the neatly folded stack of laundry into Emily's bedroom and laid out a clean pair of jeans as well as a blue plaid button-down shirt on the bed. Spencer then took a few towels that had also been amongst the clothing and walked to the bathroom.

Spencer knocked on the door.

"Hey, Em, is it okay if I come in and put these towels away?"

"Sure. It's open." Emily called out.

Once Spencer had put the towels away in the bathroom cabinet, she walked back into the living room.

A few minutes later, Spencer heard a knock on Emily's apartment door. When Spencer opened the door, she found Hanna and Aria on the other side.

"Hey guys, you're a little early." Spencer said.

"Yeah, we left early so that we could be on time. I wanted to be sure we could find the place." Aria said.

"Come in. Emily's in the shower, but she should be out in a few minutes. Is Ali still coming?"

"Yeah, she said she'd be over soon." Aria said.

A minute later Emily walked out of the bathroom, in a sports bra with her dirty clothes in one hand and a short towel wrapped around her waist.

"Hey, Spence…" Emily then looked up to see her girlfriend standing in the living room with Aria and Hanna.

Emily stared at Spencer and her friends.

"Look who showed up a little early." Spencer said, motioning to her friends.

Aria quickly averted her eyes to the floor, avoiding looking at Emily. Hanna however, allowed her eyes to carefully look Emily, up and down.

"Um…hi. Aria, Hanna. It's good to see you guys again."

"You too." Hanna said.

Spencer walked over to Emily.

"Em, why don't you go get dressed?" Spencer put her hands on Emily's shoulders from behind and turned her toward the bedroom. "I laid some clothes out for you on the bed."

"Okay. Thanks. I'll be right back."

Emily then quickly disappeared into the bedroom and closed the door.

"So…holy abs." Hanna said. "Am I the only one who noticed that Emily's totally buff? I mean you can definitely tell she has muscles with clothes on, but in a towel…damn."

"Believe me, I know." Spencer said. "She's pretty built."

"I didn't know she had a tattoo either. That automatically raises her hottie factor by like a thousand points, at least."

"Do you two and Emily wanna be alone tonight?" Aria, asked sarcastically.

"Oh come on, Aria…" Hanna said. "Like you didn't notice, she's hot."

Once Emily had gotten dressed, she went back into the living room.

"That's better." Emily said as she walked over to the couch. "I'm sorry you guys had to see that much of me. No one needs to see that." She laughed. "I just wasn't expecting anyone to be here yet."

"It's cool." Hanna said. "We don't mind one bit."

"Why don't you guys sit down and make yourselves at home." Emily said. "Spence, is Alison still coming over tonight, too?"

"Yeah. She'll be here."

"Okay, cool. As soon as she gets here we can decide what we want to get to eat." Emily said as she sat down on the couch.

"So…Emily. Spencer told us you went to college in Texas?" Aria said. "How'd you end up all the way in Rosewood?"

"After I graduated. I was working in Texas for a little while, but I got a bunch of referrals to clients in the Philadelphia area."

"You know that French restaurant downtown?" Spencer said. "Emily designed that."

"Wow, really? Hanna said.

"It's true." Emily nodded. "I did design it."

"That's awesome." Aria said.

"Em and I just went there for dinner last weekend." Spencer said as she walked behind the couch and placed her hands on Emily's shoulders.

"Yeah. We had a really nice time." Emily leaned back and looked up, smiling at Spencer. "I'd love to take all of you girls out to dinner there sometime. We'll have to make arrangements."

"That would be great." Hanna said. "Oh and can I just say that you guys are like so ridiculously cute together. I can barely stand it."

Just then Emily's front door opened and Alison walked in.

"No need to knock or anything." Spencer said, sarcastically. "It's cool."

"What? It's not like you were doing anything. And I believe I was invited." Alison shrugged.

"That doesn't mean you should just barge into other peoples' houses." Spencer said. "It's rude."

"Don't worry, Spence. It's no big deal." Emily said. "It's nice to see you, Alison. How are you?"

"Good, thanks."

"So...what would everyone like to eat?" Emily asked.

She walked into the kitchen and opened a drawer, pulling out a stack of local restaurant menus.

"You know, I have this huge craving for Thai food." Alison said, picking up one of the menus.

"The only Thai place around here is on the other side of town and they don't deliver. Pick something else." Spencer said.

"Emily asked and I said what I wanted." Alison stared at Spencer. "Besides, I'm sure Emily wouldn't mind…"

"I don't. I can go pick our stuff up. If that's what you guys want." Emily said. "It's no big deal."

"You don't have to do that, Emily." Aria said. "We can order from somewhere else."

"I don't mind. You guys are the guests. Besides, Thai food actually sounds pretty good. What do you guys say?" Emily asked, looking over at Aria and Hanna. "Do we all agree?"

"Sounds good to me." Hanna said.

"If you're sure you don't mind having to drive across town..." Aria said.

"Cool. Why don't you guys write down what ever you want and I'll call."

* * *

"Our stuff should be just about ready." Emily said, looking at her watch. "I'm gonna go pick it up, you guys can just hang out here. Watch TV, whatever. I'll be back shortly."

"Thanks, Em." Spencer leaned forward and kissed Emily.

"No, problem."

Emily then picked her car keys up off of her desk and headed out the door.

Spencer sat down in the computer chair at Emily's desk.

"I'm really glad we're getting a chance to hang out with Emily." Aria said.

"Yeah, she's super sweet." Hanna said. "You're a lucky girl, Spence."

"How much longer will she be working at your house?" Aria asked.

"I'm not sure. It probably won't be too much longer, which is good. I mean I'll miss seeing her there everyday, but at least we'll be able to finally tell my parents."

"So obviously Melissa hasn't said anything, then?" Hanna said.

"No. She promised she wouldn't and so far so good."

"Good." Aria smiled softly at Spencer. "I feel like if my brother found out that I was secretly seeing someone, he'd be all about threatening to tell my parents."

Alison stood up and walked over to Emily's desk, where Spencer was sitting and began riffling through the drawings and other papers on Emily's desk.

"Holy crap." Alison said.

"What is that?" Spencer turned around to see Alison holding a piece of paper.

"The contract she has to remodel your house. Do you have any idea how much money your parents are paying her?"

"No. We've never talked about it. I don't need to know. It's none of my business and it isn't yours either." Spencer took the document from the blonde and laid it back on the table, underneath some other papers.

"You're so lame." Alison rolled her eyes. "Are we seriously just going to sit here and chat…you're here, alone in your girlfriend's apartment, you should be doing some snooping."

"Why would I want to snoop through Emily's stuff?"

"Come on, Spence, no one can be that gorgeous and perfect. She's gotta have a few skeletons in her closet." Alison stood up and walked toward Emily's bedroom.

"Where are you going?" Spencer asked.

"To look in her bedroom, of course." Alison said, matter-of-factly. "That's where people always hide the best stuff, you know that."

Alison turned and walked into Emily's bedroom.

"No. You don't need to be in her bedroom." Spencer stood up and walked into the bedroom, with Aria and Hanna following closely behind.

"You can't just go through peoples' stuff, without their permission, Alison." Aria said.

"Emily will never know the difference."

Alison opened Emily's nightstand and pulled out a small bottle of liquid, which turned out to be KY lubricant.

"Well, we know Emily's not using this with you." Alison laughed. "Maybe she has another girl on the side. One who actually puts out."

"Shut up." Spencer took the bottle from Alison and put it back in the drawer. "So she has lube. Who cares, a lot of people do."

"Seriously. It doesn't mean she's cheating." Hanna said. "It doesn't mean anything. You're just jealous that Spencer has someone who really likes her, so you'll look for any excuse to make Emily look bad."

"Yeah. Grow up, Alison." Aria said.

Alison then bent down and opened the bottom drawer of Emily's night stand and pulled out a handful of seemingly random papers.

"I told you no." Spencer grabbed the papers. "I'm putting this stuff away and we're going into the living room to watch TV until Emily gets back."

As Spencer bent down to place Emily's things back into the open drawer, one small, folded in half piece of paper fluttered to the floor.

"Here, Spence. You dropped this." Hanna bent down and picked it up, but Alison intercepted the paper, before Spencer could take it from Hanna.

Alison opened the paper and looked it over.

"Jackpot." Alison smirked.

"What?" Spencer rolled her eyes.

"Look at this." Alison said.

Spencer looked over at the paper in Alison's hands.

"It's a birth certificate..." Spencer said.

"Who's Bryce Fields, Spence?" Hanna asked. "Does Emily have a nephew or baby brother?"

"No. She's an only child..."

"Oh, well maybe he's a cousin or something." Hanna said.

"Yeah or maybe Emily has a son who she hasn't bothered to tell you about." Alison said.

"You don't seriously think Emily has a baby, do you?" Aria asked.

"No way." Spencer said. "If she did, he would live with her."

"Not necessarily." Alison said. "What if she got pregnant, had the baby and was like a terrible mom that she got him taken away from her."

"I doubt that." Aria said. "I can't see Emily being a bad mom. She seems so sweet. Maybe she accidentally got pregnant when she was like really young and had to give the baby up for adoption..."

"No. Look at the date on the birth certificate. This baby is just under two years old." Alison said.

"There's no way Emily could have ever been pregnant." Spencer swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "She told me she came out to her parents when she was sixteen and she's only ever been with women."

"Yeah well, apparently she lied to you." Alison said.

"There has to be some logical explanation...there just has to be...there's no way..." Spencer said, it was obvious that she was becoming more upset by the moment.

"Spence, do you want us to leave so you can talk to Emily about this?" Aria asked.

"No. If you guys leave, she'll know something's up."

"Something is up." Hanna replied. "Or at least it might be."

A moment later, the girls heard the sound of keys in the door.

"Emily's back." Spencer quickly folded up the birth certificate again and stuffed it into her pocket. "Get in the living room." Spencer quickly ushered her friends out of the bedroom.

Hanna, Aria and Alison hurried to sit down on the couch. Spencer turned on the TV and collapsed into the computer chair that she had previously been sitting in, just before Emily walked through the door.

Emily looked up to see Spencer and her friends staring at her, with deer in the headlights looks.

"Is everything okay?" Emily asked. "Why are you all looking at me like that?"

"We're just starving and you're the one with food, that's all." Spencer said.

"Oh, right." Emily laughed as she set the bags down on the coffee table. "Let's eat."


	25. Chapter 25

Once everyone had finished eating, Emily got up and put the DVD in to the player. Aria and Hanna moved to sit on the floor closer to the TV. Leaving the couch open for Alison, Spencer and Emily. Emily then turned out the lights and sat down next to her girlfriend. Emily put her arm around Spencer. Spencer's body was a little rigid and she hesitated slightly, but eventually settled in and laid her head on Emily's chest. As the movie played on the television screen, Spencer was finding herself having a lot of difficulty focusing on the film. Her mind was spinning as she thought about Emily having a son. She and Emily had been very open and honest with each other since they started dating. How could Emily keep something like this from her? It all left Spencer feeling both hurt and confused.

About half way through the movie, Spencer felt her phone buzz in her lap. She glanced down and saw that it was text from Hanna.

When are you going to talk to her?

Idk. How do I bring it up? She'll know we went through her stuff.

No. Ali went through her stuff. Just blame it on her.

"Is everything, okay?" Emily asked, quietly, noticing Spencer was on her phone.

"Everything's fine." Spencer replied as she shoved her phone into her pocket.

Emily gently kissed the side of Spencer's head and wrapped her arms tighter around her girlfriend's body. Spencer tried to focus her attention back to the television.

* * *

When the movie had ended, Emily got up off of the couch and turned the light on.

"Thanks for having us over, Emily." Hanna said. "But we should really be getting home."

"Are you sure? You guys don't have to leave yet." Emily said.

"I'm sure you and Spencer could use some alone time." Aria stood up from the floor and stretched. "Thanks for having us over. We'll have to get together again sometime."

"You guys are welcome over here any time you want." Emily said.

"Thank you." Hanna and Aria both said.

"You coming, Alison?" Aria looked down at the blonde who was still seated on the couch.

"Yeah, I guess so." Alison stood up.

"Bye, Alison." Emily said. "I'm glad you could make it tonight."

"Me too." Alison walked over to Emily. "Thanks for dinner."

"I'll walk you guys out." Spencer said.

Spencer then turned toward Emily.

"I'll be right back."

Aria, Hanna, Alison and Spencer all stepped outside. Spencer quickly closed the door behind them.

"What are you gonna do, Spence?" Aria asked. "When are you gonna ask her about the kid?"

"I don't even know what to say. I just don't get it, we've been dating for over a month, why haven't I seen this baby or at least heard anything about him?"

"Maybe the father has custody and Emily only gets him every so often." Aria said.

"How do I even bring this up to Emily? I just don't understand why she didn't tell me about her son."

"Put yourself in her shoes, don't you think it'd be hard telling a new girlfriend something like that?" Aria said. "Maybe she just hasn't found the right time..."

"Maybe, but I don't think I can pretend to not know about this. How am I going to tell her that I know?"

"You better figure something out." Alison said. "If Emily has a two year old, he's not going away any time soon. Are you really ready to be a mom to someone else's baby?"

"God, I'm so not ready to deal with this." Spencer said, running a hand through her hair as she paced back and forth.

"You're not gonna break up with Emily, are you? Hanna asked.

"I don't want to do that. I love her and if being with her means I'm gonna have to accept the fact that she has a baby, then that's just what I'll have to do."

"Emily's really lucky to have a girlfriend like you." Hanna said.

"Thanks...I guess I should probably get back inside."

"Good luck, Spence." Hanna said. "If you need to talk, you know we're here for you."

"Thanks, guys. I'll see you tomorrow."

Spencer then turned and walked back into Emily's apartment.

"I'm glad you're back. Now, I get to have you all to myself." Emily smiled. "Come sit down with me."

Spencer walked over to the couch and sat down with her girlfriend. Emily leaned over and pressed her lips to Spencer's. Emily gently slid her tongue into Spencer's mouth. Spencer uneasily slid her hands up Emily's shoulders and into her hair. After a few moments, Emily pulled back sensing a bit of tension from her girlfriend.

"You okay?" Emily asked. "You seem tense."

"I'm not tense..."

"You sure? You seemed a little distracted tonight, like your mind is a million miles away. Is it something I did or said to your friends? Do they not like me or..."

"They like you."

"Well, what's wrong, then?"

"Nothing. I'm fine, really."

"Okay." Emily leaned forward and pressed her lips to Spencer's again.

Emily then closed her eyes as she gently began trailing a series of light kisses down Spencer's neck. As hard as Spencer tried to rid her mind of the birth certificate in her pocket, she found herself completely unable to focus on anything else.

"Em?"

"Hhhmmm?" Emily mumbled against Spencer's neck.

Spencer took a deep breath and swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Do you have a baby?" Spencer's voice cracked, her words running together.

Emily's eyes snapped open, she pulled back and stared directly into Spencer's face.

"Why would you ask me something like that?"

Spencer didn't speak, but only reached into her pocket and pulled out the birth certificate. She unfolded the paper and handed it to Emily.

"Where did you get this?" Emily said, surprised to see the piece of paper in her hands.

"When you left, Alison started going through your stuff, I tried to stop her, but before I could, she found that...I'm really sorry. I wish I never saw it at all, but I did and you just can't unsee something like that..."

"Spencer, I know how this looks, but I promise you, it's not what you think."

"Then what is it, Em? You have a birth certificate that belongs to a two year old with your last name. What am I supposed think?"

"It's a long, complicated story..."

"We've got time and I think I'm smart enough to keep up, just tell me the truth..."

"Listen, Spencer...I've been meaning to talk to you about this..." Emily took in a long breath and exhaled. "Bryce is my ex-fiancée's son."

"Fiancée? You were engaged?"

"Yes." Emily nodded. "When I was in college, I met this girl...Stephanie. She was an accounting student at Texas Tech. We started dating, we were together for a while and things were great. But, about two years ago, Steph started getting really sick, she'd throw up almost every morning. We just thought maybe she had a digestive problem or something, so I took her to the emergency room to get checked out and that's when we found out that she was two months pregnant."

"You obviously didn't get her pregnant...she cheated on you?"

"Yeah. Stephanie didn't have a choice but to confess that she got wasted and slept with an ex boyfriend one night when I was away visiting my grandparents. I was pretty much crushed, but deep down I still loved her. I told her that I wanted her to keep the baby. I promised to marry her as soon as I finished college and adopt the baby. So, the next day, I went out and bought an engagement ring, nothing fancy, but the best diamond I could afford."

"A girl cheated on you, got pregnant and you still forgave her...and volunteered to raise a baby that wasn't yours..."

"In a nutshell, that's about it. Stephanie was nineteen at the time, she was scared and I just wanted to do the right thing, but my parents weren't exactly thrilled with my decision to stand by Stephanie. My mom never really forgave her, but I figured she'd get over it, eventually. So...Stephanie dropped out of college and I moved her into my apartment. My mother was pretty much dead set against us living together before we were married, but I needed to be there for Steph and I thought living together would be the best possible way."

"You've got to be the sweetest, most selfless person I've ever met. I think it takes a really big person to forgive something like that."

"It wasn't as simple for me as I made it sound...I really struggled emotionally for a long time. Even though we were working things out, I still had a lot of trust issues. Stephanie and I definitely lost a lot of intimacy. I mean of course I helped her through her pregnancy and I still loved her, but it had been months before I ever felt any sexual desire again. Half of the time we didn't even sleep in the same bed. I pretended to have developed a bad habit of falling asleep on the couch, watching TV before bed, because I didn't want to sleep next to her some nights. It was so hard pushing myself to trust her again, but when that little boy was born and he looked up at me with those big, beautiful blue eyes for the first time in the delivery room...it felt like nothing else in the world mattered. There I was, holding my newborn son in my arms, Stephanie and I would soon be married and we'd officially become a family...but things obviously didn't work out the way I had expected..."

Spencer could see the hurt in Emily's eyes as she talked about Stephanie. Spencer reached out and placed her hand on top of Emily's.

"Emily, no one could possibly blame you for breaking up with her...even after the baby was born...you tried to do a good thing, but she still cheated on you. It's hard to get around that."

"I never broke up with her...she left me, two weeks before our wedding was supposed to take place. She walked out and I haven't heard from her since. She didn't even dump me to my face. I went to work one morning and when I came home, she was gone, along with all of her stuff and the baby. She left me a letter and her engagement ring. She said she felt like she should be with the baby's father...even after all I did for her. Just because he was the one who knocked her up, that apparently made him somehow better suited to raise a baby. He wasn't the one who took her to all of the doctor's appointments, he never sat on the bathroom floor holding her hair back while she puked her guts out at four a.m. almost every morning during the first trimester. He wasn't the one who worked two jobs while finishing college so Stephanie wouldn't have to work. He didn't even have a job at all. Does that sound like someone who's well-suited to take care of a baby?"

Spencer gently stroked Emily's hand with her thumb. She could see a few tears begin to well up in the architect's eyes.

"Would you believe the bastard never once called or even texted Stephanie during her pregnancy to see how she was doing? It was like she didn't even exist. I treated that baby like he was my own flesh and blood...I loved him more than anything and it ripped my heart out knowing I'd probably never see him again."

Spencer watched as a few tears slipped down Emily's cheeks.

"You could fight for custody. You know my parents are lawyers, I'll talk to them, maybe they can help you..."

"There's nothing they could do." Emily slumped forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "I'm not biologically related to Bryce."

"But the baby has your last name."

"It doesn't matter. Stephanie planned to take my last name when we got married, so that's what we put on the birth certificate, but at the time she left me, I hadn't yet filed for adoption. So, I have zero legal rights. I'm sure she's changed his last name by now."

Emily closed her eyes and blinked back a few tears. Spencer placed her hand on Emily's back and gently moved it up and down.

"I'm sorry." Emily wiped away her own tears. "I don't like to let anyone see me cry."

"No. Don't apologize to me. You're obviously still hurt over this."

"I've tried not be angry, but it's so hard. I did everything I possibly could have…"

"It's okay to be angry. I don't blame you." Spencer said as she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend and hugged her tight. "You've been through a lot."

Emily shifted her position to face Spencer and returned the embrace.

"I just wish you'd told me all of this sooner." Spencer said, gently rubbing Emily's back.

"I wanted to." Emily pulled away to look at Spencer. "But, I was scared. When we first met, I liked you a lot and when I found out that you liked me too, I didn't want to screw it up. You're only eighteen, I was afraid that you'd think I had too much emotional baggage to deal with. I wanted to wait and try to win you over first, but the longer we were dating the harder it got for me to try to bring it up."

"It's all out in the open now. Don't worry. None of this changes how I feel about you. I'm really sorry that Alison when through your stuff, she had no right to do that."

"Maybe it's better that she did. I'm glad that you know everything now. It's a huge weight off of my chest."

"I'm glad you told me…but, I need to ask you something."

"What is it?" Emily asked, looking straight into Spencer's eyes.

"Do you still have feelings for Stephanie?"

"No." Emily didn't even hesitate. "It's over between us. I left her behind when I left Texas to come here. You're the only person I have feelings for now."

Emily watched a tear roll down Spencer's cheek.

"What's wrong?" Emily panicked.

"I'm just trying to process everything. Em, if Stephanie didn't walk out on you, you'd probably still be living in Texas, married to her, with a son. I'd never have even met you…I just can't imagine not knowing you."

Emily placed her hands on either side of Spencer's face.

"I should thank Stephanie for leaving me. As hard as it was to lose her and Bryce, I've gained a lot since then. I've been able to further my career and even better, I've gotten to know you in the process. I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason. Maybe I was meant to go through all of the pain so that I'd be able to really appreciate what I have now...with you…I...love you, Spencer. These last few weeks I've wanted to say that to you, but I just couldn't get the words out..."

"Stop..." Spencer placed her index finger over the architect's lips.

Emily's heart began pounding hard against her chest.

"Oh God, you're totally freaked out, aren't you?" Emily mumbled against Spencer's finger. "I knew it was too soon…I just..."

"No, Em. I need you to stop talking, so I can say that I love you, too." Spencer smiled brightly, leaned forward and pressed her lips to Emily's.

The kiss was passionate and pure. Spencer closed her eyes and tangled her fingers into Emily's hair as the brunette smiled against Emily's lips. Emily held Spencer close and slowly opened her mouth, tentatively deepening the kiss. When the kiss was broken, Emily reached up, gently tucked a lock of Spencer's hair behind her ear and rested her forehead against her girlfriend's.

"After Stephanie I thought I'd never fall in love again, I wasn't even sure that I wanted to, but then I met you and everything changed."

"Aw, Em." Spencer wrapped her arms around Emily and hugged her again.

* * *

"Can I stay over tonight?" Spencer asked, taking Emily's hand.

"Spencer…"

"I don't mean stay over like that…I just want to be with you tonight."

"Okay." Emily nodded. "I'll find you something to sleep in."

Emily stood up and extended her hand down to Spencer. Spencer followed Emily into the bedroom. Emily opened one of her dresser drawers and pulled out some clothes for Spencer.

"Here. You can wear these." Emily said, handing the clothes to Spencer.

"Thanks."

Emily then went back to her dresser and picked out a pair of Philadelphia Flyers pajama bottoms, as well as a black t shirt for herself.

"You can change in here." Emily said. "I'll give you some privacy. I'll be in the living room."

Emily then turned and walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind her. Emily unbuttoned her shirt and slipped it off of her shoulders. She then unbuckled her belt, unzipped her jeans and let them slip down her legs. Once Emily had gotten redressed, she knocked on the bedroom door.

"Spence? You dressed yet?"

"Yeah." Spencer called out. "You can come in."

Emily opened the door and walked in. She tossed her clothes into the laundry basket near the dresser.

"You ready for bed?" Spencer asked.

"Yeah. It's been a long night and I've gotta be at your house early tomorrow morning. I should get some sleep."

"Goodnight, Spence." Emily said as she leaned in and kissed her girlfriend.

Emily then turned and walked toward the door.

"Were are you going?" Spencer asked.

"I wasn't sure that we should sleep in the same bed, so I was gonna sleep on the couch."

"Em, we can sleep together without _sleeping together_. Get into bed."

"As long as it's okay with you…"

"It's more than okay. We can cuddle."

Emily and Spencer both got into bed and laid down.

"You wanna spoon?" Spencer asked as she got underneath the blanket.

"Only if you'll let me be the big spoon."

"Deal."

Spencer rolled over so that she was now facing away from Emily. Emily protectively wrapped her arms around Spencer, pressed her body flush against Spencer's back and nestled her face into the brunette's neck. Spencer then closed her eyes and spent the next few minutes enjoying the warmth of Emily's body against her own before happily drifting off to sleep.


	26. Chapter 26

Hey everyone,

First off I wanted to apologize, sorry it's been a while since I've updated. I planned to have this chapter up a few days ago, but I wasn't really feeling that well and I was working a lot, so I just couldn't find the time to finish it. Anyway, I hope you like it. As always, thanks so much for your reviews and comments. You guys are the best!

-Fender18

* * *

Early the next morning, Spencer rolled over in bed to look at Emily who was lying on her back, with one hand behind her head, fast asleep. Spencer wrapped her arms around Emily and laid her head on the architect's chest. After a few moments, Emily slowly opened her eyes.

"Good morning." Emily yawned and placed one of her hand on the middle of Spencer's back.

"Morning." Spencer smiled.

"How'd you sleep?

"Great. You're amazing to spoon with. You're so warm and protective."

"I'm just over six feet tall, if nothing else, it gives me an advantage in the whole spooning department." Emily laughed.

"Well, I love it. Do you remember the first time I ever slept over here?"

"Sure. The first and only time, until now. We weren't even dating, yet. I invited you over, we watch a movie and you fell asleep in my bed. I just couldn't bring myself to wake you."

"I'm glad you didn't. I got to wake up to you getting dressed the next morning."

"You watched me get dressed? Emily smirked.

"It's not like I really saw anything. You had underwear on. Do you remember saying you didn't sleep in the same bed with me because you like to sleep naked and you didn't think it would have been appropriate?"

"I do remember that." Emily laughed. "But, I was kidding. I never sleep naked. I was just flirting with you."

"You're a huge flirt."

"I think you're the flirt. When I first started working at your house, I'm pretty sure I caught you checking me out once or twice."

"Just once or twice? You must not have been paying much attention, then. I basically couldn't take my eyes off of you. You had to know that I was into you."

"I honestly thought you just flirted with me a little because I was there and you were bored. I was never convinced that you actually liked me. I've worked for clients with daughters your age before and none of them would even give me the time of day, it never really crossed my mind that you might be interested."

"I pretty much had a crush on you from the minute my dad introduced us."

"Really?"

"Really. You're easy to have a crush on."

"How am I easy to have a crush on?"

"You're just totally cute, sweet, charming and not to mention, you have an amazing body."

"I don't know about that."

"Em, I've seen you without a shirt on." Spencer slipped her hand underneath Emily's t shirt and placed her hand on her girlfriend's abdomen. "There's no other way to describe you."

"Thanks." Emily smiled. "You definitely flatter me."

Emily wrapped her arms around Spencer and pulled her closer.

"It's been really nice to have the chance to get to know you and work our way up from acquaintances, to friends, to more than friends." Emily said. "Usually when I go to a job, I show up, get my work done and I go home. I've never really had much interaction with my clients, other than them telling me what they want and how they want it done. No one's really made much of an effort to talk to me. Ever since I moved here, I've been kind of lonely, but with you, it's been great having someone to talk to."

"You had other friends here before you met me though and I know you've…had girls…"

"Yeah, but you don't have to be physically alone to feel lonely. When I first moved here, I didn't really know what to do with myself. I was so used to taking care of Stephanie and Bryce that it was weird only having to worry about myself again. I'd try to just bury myself in my work as much as possible so I wouldn't have time to think about things."

"I'm just glad we have each other now. You know, Em...I'm also really glad that we had the chance to talk last night."

"So am I. I feel a lot better now that you know everything...I'm really sorry for not telling you sooner."

"It's okay. I understand why you didn't." Spencer said as she placed her hand on top of Emily's, lacing their fingers together. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"What was Stephanie like?"

"Spencer...we don't need to talk about her."

"I'm just curious. What does she look like?"

"She's basically your exact polar opposite. Five foot one, blonde, blue eyes..."

"You're six feet tall, dark hair, dark eyes and managed to find a girl who's five one and blonde?"

"Yeah. We were kind of a strange couple, but that doesn't matter now. You see, I've got a thing for this tall, sexy brunette with great legs."

"Anyone I know?" Spencer smirked.

"I think you might know her." Emily slightly shifted her position on the bed and leaned over to kiss Spencer.

As they kissed, Spencer's phone began ringing from the night stand, next to Emily's bed. Spencer reached over and picked up the phone, seeing that she had an incoming call from Hanna.

"Hey, Han. What's up?"

"Hey. Did you talk to Emily last night? Did she tell you about her son?"

"We talked and we couldn't have been more wrong about everything. I'll explain when I see you."

"Can I come over now?"

"I'm not home."

"Where are you this early?"

"I'm at Emily's and we're still in bed so can I talk to you later?"

"Holy crap, did you guys..."

"No. We didn't. I'll call you when I get home."

"Okay. Bye, Spence."

"Bye." Spencer ended the call and placed the phone back down on the night stand. "Hanna...always calling at the worst possible time."

"Your friends probably think I'm a total scumbag for not telling you about Bryce."

"They don't think that. I admit last night things looked bad when Alison found that birth certificate, but there's usually a reasonable explanation for everything."

"Would you still have wanted to be with me if I did have a son?"

"Of course I would. People like you don't come around everyday. I wouldn't be so small minded as to write you off because of something like that."

"I'm so lucky to have you, Spence. You're incredible."

Emily leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Spencer's forehead. Spencer smiled, wrapped her arms tightly around her girlfriend and nestled her face into the crook of Emily's neck.

"You know, I really hate to do this, but I've gotta get up and get ready for work."

"Your getting ready for work consists of you putting on a pair of jeans and a t shirt. You can cuddle with me for like five more minutes."

"Five more minutes it is."

* * *

"So, are your parents going to be home?" Emily asked as she pulled a plain white t shirt out of her dresser drawer and slipped it on.

"I'm not sure. Why?"

"I'm just trying to figure out how I can get you home with out us showing up together. They'd probably be suspicious if I showed up to work with you in my truck."

"Just drop me off a little ways down the street and I'll walk home. My mom thinks I slept over at Alison's, so it's not like she wouldn't believe me if I said I walked home, it's only across the street."

"Okay. Cool. Let's get going, I don't want to be late for work."

Spencer and Emily both walked out the door and got into Emily's truck. Emily started her truck and drove across town.

"You can drop me off here." Spencer said as Emily turned onto the Hastings' street. "I'll just walk up the street."

Emily pulled her truck over near the sidewalk and parked. Spencer unbuckled her seatbelt and slid across the seat of the truck, closer to Emily. Spencer leaned over and pressed her lips to Emily's.

"Give me a minute or so to walk home, then you can drive over."

"Okay."

Spencer then kissed Emily again and slid back over to the passenger side door and stepped out.

Once Emily thought enough time had passed, she drove up to the Hastings' house and pulled into the driveway.

Spencer walked into the house, where her parents were having breakfast with Melissa and Wren.

"Hi, honey." Veronica said. "I didn't expect you home so soon."

"Yeah, well...Alison was being annoying so I left."

"Alison, being annoying?" Melissa said. "Big surprise there."

"Yeah, really." Spencer said.

"Are you hungry, sweetheart?" Veronica asked. "I'll get you some breakfast."

"I can get it myself. Thanks, mom."

Spencer opened one of the cupboards and took a plate from the shelf.

"You want some more coffee, Wren?" Melissa asked, looking over at her fiancé.

"Sure. That would be wonderful, actually. Thanks, Melissa."

Melissa picked up Wren's mug and walked over to the counter, near Spencer. Spencer was staring out the window where Emily was walking across the yard.

"Were you with Emily, last night?" Melissa whispered, glancing at Emily through the window.

"Yeah." Spencer smiled.

Melissa picked up the coffee pot and filled Wren's mug before returning to her seat at the kitchen island.

"So, I'm really impressed with the way the kitchen turned out." Melissa said. "It looks gorgeous. Emily's great at what she does."

"Yes she is." Peter agreed. "Emily does great work."

"We're so lucky to have been able to hire her to do the work." Veronica added.

"Definitely." Peter said. "She's a very hard worker. I admire that kind of dedication. Nice kid, too."

"Yeah. I've talked to her a couple of times. She seems really sweet." Melissa said.

Spencer looked over at her sister, giving her an appreciative glance.

"Was Emily here when you got home, Spence?" Peter asked.

"No, but she's here now. I saw her truck pull up. Why?"

"I just wanted to ask her when she'll be installing the bathroom fixtures, since the water will need to be shut off while she does it."

"Oh. Okay." Spencer said as she set her plate down on the island.

"You can sit here, Spence." Peter said, standing up. "I'm going to go talk to Emily before she gets too busy."

Spencer sat down in her father's seat as Peter walked out the back door.

Peter walked across the yard and into the addition where Emily was talking to her crew members.

"Hi, Emily." Peter said.

"Good morning, Mister Hastings. What can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to find out when you're planning on installing the fixtures in the bathroom. I just want to make sure that we're all aware when you shut off the water."

"Oh. Don't worry, I'll make sure to give you a heads up. I was actually planning to do it when no one's home, that way no one gets inconvenienced. I'll probably get around to that on Monday. The hardware store called yesterday and said they just got the fixtures you picked out delivered. I just haven't had a chance to get down there to pick up the order yet."

"Sounds good. Thanks, Emily. My daughters would be extremely cranky if they woke up and didn't have water. Especially Spencer, she can be a nightmare in the morning before she's had a chance to shower."

"Perfectly understandable." Emily laughed. "I feel the same way most days."

Peter smiled.

"Well, I guess I'll let you get back to work."

"All right. Have a good day, Mister Hastings."

"You too."

When Emily turned around, her crew noticed the huge smirk on the architect's face.

"Thinking about Spencer in the shower?" Mike smirked, looking at Emily.

"Maybe." Emily exhaled and ran a hand through her hair.

"He'd kill you if he knew you were picturing his daughter naked in the shower." Chris laughed, staring out the window at Peter as he walked back to the house.

"Yeah, well, lucky for me he can't see inside my mind."

"Speaking of naked girls, how's the whole abstinence thing going for you, Em?" Mike asked. "It's been over a month since you and Spencer got together."

"It's all right. I've gone a lot longer than a month without having sex. I'll survive."

"You told her about Stephanie, yet?" Ben asked.

"Actually, I came clean to her last night, about everything."

"Really? How'd it go?" Chris asked.

"She took it pretty well, but she didn't really find out how I wanted her to."

"You didn't bring it up?" Ben asked. "How did she find out, then?"

"I invited Spencer and a few of her friends over to my apartment, I left them alone to go pick up some food and apparently one of her friends decided to get a little nosy and go through some stuff in my bedroom. They found Bryce's birth certificate, which I forgot I even had in there. Spencer confronted me about it and I spilled my guts."

"That sucks, but you've gotta feel better now that she knows." Mike said.

"Yeah, I do. Spencer was totally cool about everything. I couldn't really ask for more…well…standing here talking about my personal life isn't going to get this addition finished. Let's get to work."

* * *

Later that afternoon, Spencer found herself in her bedroom along with Hanna and Aria.

"So…you said Emily doesn't have a son?" Hanna said.

"No, she doesn't."

"So, who's birth certificate did Alison find, then?" Aria asked.

"Bryce is actually Emily's ex-fiancées, son."

"Emily used be engaged?" Hanna looked surprised.

"Yeah. It turns out Emily was dating this girl, Stephanie, while she was in college. Basically, Stephanie got drunk, cheated on Em with an ex-boyfriend and ended up pregnant."

"What a slut. I hope Emily dumped her ass." Hanna said.

"She didn't. And that explains the birth certificate. Emily forgave Stephanie, promised to marry her and raise the baby together."

"So basically what you're saying is that Emily's pretty much a saint." Hanna said.

"That's pretty much the case."

"They're obviously not together anymore. What happened?" Aria asked.

"Well, they got engaged and Stephanie had the baby. Stephanie was going to take Emily's name when they got married, so that's why the baby's birth certificate had Emily's last name on it. Emily worked two jobs to support Stephanie and the baby, while she was still finishing her degree, but, right before the wedding, Stephanie walked out and only left Emily the engagement ring and a letter. She apparently decided to be with the baby's father instead. Emily never even heard from Stephanie again, so she left Texas to get away from everything."

"How could anyone leave Emily after something like that?" Hanna asked. "She's obviously perfect."

"I know. She's got a heart of gold. She'd do anything for anyone." Spencer said. "We should all be thankful we're so lucky that we've never been hurt that badly."

"Seriously." Hanna said.

"Emily's still pretty broken up about the whole thing, I could see it in her eyes. I saw this whole other side to her. This raw, vulnerable, damaged person…she cried last night."

"Poor Emily." Aria said. "How do you get over something like that?"

"I know it's not easy, but I think I can fix her. Emily won't always show it, but she's really sweet and sensitive. I feel like she just needs someone to love her again and appreciate her for how amazing she is."

"I think you're good for Emily." Aria said. "You guys really care a lot about each other."

"We do. And last night, Emily even told me that she loves me."

"Oh my God, really?" Hanna said. "That's awesome. Please tell me you said it back."

"Of course I did. I didn't even hesitate to say it back. I've never felt this way about anyone in my whole life…I just really hope my parents can accept her when we tell them."


	27. Chapter 27

I'm not sure who left this review:

"Guest 3/2/13 . chapter 1

I've had a bad day and I think the only thing that's gonna lift up my spirits is an update!"

But, I'm sorry you had a bad day. :( I hope this helps. :)

-Fender18

* * *

Later that afternoon. Melissa came upstairs to Spencer's bedroom.

"Hey, Spence." Melissa opened the bedroom door. "Mom, dad, Wren and I are going to the country club to play some tennis do you want to come? You can bring your friends."

"No, thanks."

"You can go if you want to, Spence." Aria said. "I've gotta get home anyway."

"Yeah. Me too." Hanna said.

"It's okay. I think I'm gonna go downstairs and hang out with Emily while she works."

"Okay. We'll be leaving shortly, if you change your mind." Melissa said.

Melissa then turned and left the room.

"You're so lucky to have your girlfriend working at your house." Hanna said. "You guys get to see each other all the time."

"I love that I get to see Emily pretty much every day, but things would be so much less complicated if she didn't work for my family. I hate that we have to sneak around."

"So…why don't you just tell your parents, then?" Hanna said. "You can tell them right now."

"Believe me, Hanna, I want to, but I can't. For Emily's sake. I'd like for her to still have a job come tomorrow."

"Listen, Spence, you know we're here for you, when ever you decide to tell your parents." Aria placed her hand on Spencer's shoulder.

"Thanks, guys. I appreciate it."

"We know you'd do the same for us. Come on, Han. I'll drive you home." Aria said.

"Okay. Bye, Spence." Hanna stood up.

"Bye. I'll talk to you later."

Hanna and Aria walked downstairs and out the front door. Aria continued walking to her car, but Hanna changed direction and walked across the yard to the addition where Emily was inside and now working alone.

"Hi, Emily."

Emily turned around.

"Hanna? What's up?"

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about Alison going through your stuff yesterday. Spencer would never do something like that and she did try to stop Alison, but it was already too late."

"It's okay. Did Spencer tell you the truth about the birth certificate that Alison found?"

"She did. I'm really sorry about everything that happened to you. You didn't deserve that, not after all you did for your ex. I mean clearly, you're perfect…"

"Oh, I'm far from perfect, but thanks. And don't be sorry. I'm not. If all of that didn't happen, and Stephanie hadn't left me, I never would have met Spencer. Spencer's amazing and I've never met anyone quite like her before."

"I feel like I owe you a thank you…" Emily said, absently running a hand through her hair.

"For what?"

"Well…if you and Aria didn't set Spencer and I up at the movies that one night, I'm not sure I ever would have worked up enough courage to tell Spencer how I felt."

"Did you always know it was supposed to be a set up?"

"I mean that's what it seemed like and I hoped that it was because God knows I was way too nervous to ask Spencer out on my own."

"You definitely don't strike me as the type to get nervous talking to girls."

"I'm usually not, when all you're trying to do is get a girl to sleep with you, the conversations don't have to be all that deep, but with Spencer, things were different. I really like her and I worried about every little thing to say. She's so smart…I was afraid of saying something stupid…actually I'm still afraid of saying stupid things and completely blowing it with her."

"Emily, sweetie…I say stupid things around Spencer all the time and we're still best friends. Besides, you're totally smart, you don't have anything to worry about, trust me. Oh and not to mention, you're like super adorable too. You're perfect for Spencer."

"Thanks." Emily blushed slightly as she looked down at her boots. "Well…I uh, should probably be getting back to work…"

"Okay."

Before Emily moved, Hanna quickly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Emily. Emily was a little surprised by the gesture, but she placed one of her hands on the blonde's back, returning the embrace.

"What was that for?" Emily asked when they separated.

"For being so good to Spencer. She really needed someone like you in her life." Hanna smiled. "She really loves you, you know. I've never seen her so crazy about anyone before…I gotta go, but I'll see you later. Bye, Emily."

"Bye, Hanna."

Emily smiled to herself as she turned around to get back to work.

* * *

Spencer stared out the window of her bedroom and watched as her father's car pulled out of the driveway. Once they left, Spencer went downstairs to talk to Emily.

"Hey, you." Spencer said, smiling brightly.

"Hey." Emily turned around.

"Did your crew go out for lunch?"

"Yeah. I'm convinced they like to leave the job site so that I don't cut their breaks short."

"It's probably true." Spencer laughed. "Do you want to come into the kitchen for lunch? I can make us something."

"What about your family?"

"Don't worry, they left."

"Where'd they go?"

"To the country club to play tennis."

"Why didn't you go with them?"

"I decided that I wanted to stay here with you. You're much better company, believe me."

"Come to the kitchen." Spencer reached down and took Emily's hand.

"Okay. Hold on a second." Emily said as she used her free hand to unbuckle her tool belt from her waist.

Emily let her tool belt gently slip down to the floor and followed Spencer into the kitchen. Once they got into the kitchen, Emily leaned forward and placed a kiss on Spencer's lips. Spencer wrapped her arms around Emily's neck and deepened the kiss. The kiss quickly and unexpectedly became very heated as Emily slid her tongue into Spencer's mouth. Spencer moaned into the kiss as she felt Emily's hands gently slide up and down her sides. Emily leaned into Spencer's body as she backed the brunette up against the kitchen island. Without breaking the kiss, Emily's hands slipped down and in one swift, effortless motion, she lifted Spencer up onto the edge of the island. The couple broke apart only for a second in order for each of them to take in a quick breath. Spencer tangled her fingers into Emily's hair as their lips met again. Though, Spencer's hands didn't stay buried in Emily's hair for long before they slowly moved downward, across the architect's broad shoulders and down her toned bicep muscles. Spencer's hands slipped lower still down Emily's back and to the hem of her jeans. Spencer slowly moved her hands up underneath Emily's t shirt, caressing the small of her girlfriend's bare back. Spencer tipped her head back as Emily trailed a line of kisses across Spencer's throat. Spencer pulled Emily closer and wrapped her legs tightly around the architect's waist.

"Em..." Spencer exhaled sharply and closed her eyes as she felt Emily begin sucking on her pulse point.

Emily leaned hard into the counter top, her belt buckle scraping against the marble in an attempt to get as close to Spencer as humanly possible. A moment later, Melissa walked back into the house to find Spencer on the kitchen island with Emily standing in between her legs. Melissa loudly cleared her throat as she stepped into the kitchen. Emily and Spencer quickly separated and sighed in relief, realizing it was Melissa.

"Are you guys trying to get caught?" Melissa asked. "And we eat on there, by the way."

"Sorry." Emily said, avoiding eye contact with Melissa as she turned to help Spencer down off of the counter.

"I thought you left." Spencer said, smoothing out her hair.

"Wren forgot to pick up his tennis racket on the way out." Melissa pointed to the couch where the racket was leaning against the arm rest.

"Oh…well, I was just about to make Emily and I something for lunch." Spencer said.

"Sure. Judging by that huge hickey on your neck, it looks like that's exactly what you were doing." Melissa said, using a stern tone.

"Geez, relax." Spencer said. "Are you jealous or something? Because I'll let Emily give you one, if you're that upset about it. She's really good…"

"Um, no thanks. No offense, Emily."

"None taken." Emily smiled, nervously.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Melissa said, looking at Spencer. "Come upstairs with me."

"I'll be right back." Spencer turned to Emily.

"Okay."

"What did you need me to come up here for?" Spencer asked as she walked into her own bedroom behind her sister.

"Sit down." Melissa said as she sat down on Spencer's bed.

Spencer sat down next to her sister.

"Listen, Spence. I know you like Emily a lot and I get that, but don't be so willing to give it all up to her so soon."

"I'm not...we were just making out. That's all."

"Okay. I'm just saying. Emily's not pressuring you to have sex, is she?"

"I can't believe I'm having this conversation with you." Spencer rolled her eyes.

"Why not? I'm your sister, you should feel comfortable talking to me."

"I know. It's just that we've never really talked about this kind of stuff before. It's not like we've ever been that close."

"Well, it's never too late to start fixing that…now, as your concerned older sister, I want you to answer my question."

"Emily's not pressuring me, I swear. We've talked about sex and I told her I'm not ready to take that step, yet. She said she's fine with waiting and she's been nothing but patient with me."

"Good. I'm glad to hear that. Now, you guys really need to be more careful around here if you don't want mom and dad to find out. You're lucky I'm the one who came back inside, dad would have probably had a heart attack if he had walked in on you and the architect dry-humping in the kitchen."

"We were NOT dry-humping. God." Spencer said, matter-of-factly. "I told you we were just making out. That's it."

"Look, it doesn't really matter what you were or weren't doing, I'm just telling you to cool it a little bit before you get caught. I don't want to see that happen."

"I know." Spencer sighed. "It just sucks, I really hate keeping Emily a secret."

"I understand, but Emily won't be working here forever."

"Yeah, but I still have no idea how to even tell mom and dad about us when she's finished working here."

"If I were you, I'd definitely tell mom first. Let her warm up to Emily as your girlfriend, then maybe she can help ease dad into the idea. I think you'd be better off if you have one parent on your side and I think mom's your best bet."

"You think mom will be okay with us?"

"I think she'll be a lot more accepting than dad, she always has been. Don't worry yourself so much, okay?"

A moment later, Emily gently knocked on the door frame of Spencer's room.

"Hey, is everything all right?" Emily asked, stepping into the room.

"Everything's fine." Melissa said. "I really gotta get out to the car. Everyone's waiting on me."

Melissa then stood up and walked toward the door.

"Have fun playing tennis." Emily said.

"Thank you." Melissa gave Emily a small smile and gently patted the architect's shoulder before exiting the room.

"So…what did your sister want?" Emily asked.

"She just wants us to be more careful with our PDA around here. She just doesn't want to see us get caught."

Spencer gently traced Emily's jaw line with her index finger, before placing a chaste kiss on the architect's lips.

"Understood." Emily nodded. "We should probably get downstairs. I imagine the only thing worse than us getting caught making out in the kitchen, would be us getting caught making out in your bedroom."

Emily and Spencer both stood up and walked toward the door.

"You first." Emily said, stepping aside so that Spencer could exit the room ahead of her.

"Thanks. Now, do you think you can keep it in your pants long enough for me to make you something to eat?"

"What? So getting caught was my fault? I believe you're the one who couldn't keep your hands off of ME, Miss Hastings." Emily laughed.

"Fine. Would it be fair to admit mutual fault?" Spencer glanced over at Emily.

"I suppose that's only fair." Emily said. "But, it's not like I could really blame you, I mean all of this is pretty impossible to resist. You can look, but no touching allowed." She laughed.

Spencer rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"You know, it'd be a lot easier to call you an asshole, if you weren't so cute." Spencer shoved Emily forward as they walked down the hall, toward the stairs.


	28. Chapter 28

Later that evening, Spencer came downstairs, where her mother and sister were cooking dinner while Peter and Wren focused their attention on watching the Flyers game on the television in the living room.

"Are you going somewhere, sweetheart?" Veronica asked.

"I'm going over to Aria's."

"So you won't be home for dinner, then?"

"No. Aria, Hanna and I are having a girl's night. I'll be home later."

"Okay. Just don't stay out too late, remember we're having brunch at the club tomorrow."

"I didn't forget, mom."

"All right. Have fun tonight."

"I will." Spencer smiled as she began walking toward the door.

"Hey, Spence." Melissa said, following her sister to the door.

"Yeah?"

Melissa stepped outside on to the porch with Spencer.

"Going to see Emily?" Melissa asked.

"Yeah, I'm going over to her apartment. Why? Is something wrong?"

"No...just keep in mind what we talked about earlier, okay?"

"Relax, Melissa." Spencer rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to have sex with her. We're just watching a movie and maybe ordering food or something."

"Okay. I'll see you later."

* * *

When Spencer got to Emily's apartment, she knocked on the door and waited. After a few moments, Emily came to the door.

"Hey." Emily leaned forward and kissed Spencer. "You don't have to knock."

"I was just being polite." Spencer said as she followed Emily inside.

"Do you want to order a pizza or something? We can eat and watch a movie."

"Sure. Pizza and cuddling up with you on the couch sounds like the perfect night."

"Cool." Emily smiled, brightly. "Why don't you pick out something to watch and I'll call for the pizza."

It was about half an hour later when Emily and Spencer heard a knock at the door.

"That must be our pizza." Emily said, standing up and pulling her wallet from her pocket.

"Let me get this." Spencer said. "My wallet's in my bag on your desk."

"No way. I'll get this." Emily pulled a few bills out of her own wallet and headed over to the door.

When Emily came back into the living room, she set the pizza box down on the coffee table.

"You never let me pay for anything." Spencer said.

"I know and I like it that way." Emily bent down and kissed Spencer.

"You're cute." Spencer shook her head and grabbed Emily by her shirt, kissing her as she pulled the architect down onto the couch.

Emily and Spencer eventually settled down and ate dinner while they watched some mediocre horror movie that Spencer had picked from Netflix. When they finished eating, Spencer moved closer to Emily on the couch and wrapped her arms around the architect. Emily reached behind them and picked up the blanket that was on top of the couch. She unfolded the blanket and wrapped it around Spencer, allowing the excess to cover herself. Emily rested her chin on top of Spencer's head as she focused her attention back to the television.

About halfway through the movie, Emily looked down at Spencer and noticed that she had fallen asleep, as she usually did. Emily just wrapped her arms tighter around Spencer and placed a kiss to the side of the brunette's head.

* * *

Later that night, when the movie had ended. Spencer yawned and slowly opened her eyes, taking a moment for her sight to focus in the dim lighting as she looked up at Emily.

"Maybe someday we'll actually watch a whole movie without you falling asleep." Emily laughed as she reached over to the end table and turned on a lamp.

"I can't help it. You're so warm and cuddly."

"Don't ever tell anyone you referred to me as 'cuddly.'"

"Why not? You are. Besides, you can act all tough if you want to, but your cover was blown a long time ago. I already know that you're totally sensitive and super sweet."

"Am I?" Emily pulled Spencer onto her lap and kissed her.

"You definitely are. Those are two of the things I love most about you." Spencer wrapped her arms around Emily, hugging her tight.

"Thanks. So...I wanted to ask you...your sister wasn't like mad about catching us making out earlier was she?"

"No. But she did give me the sex talk immediately after."

"That's what she wanted to talk to you about? I thought you said she wanted us to watch the PDA around your house?"

"We talked about that too, but only after the awkward sex speech."

"You don't know awkward sex talks until you've had one with my mom. I was like thirteen the first time she brought it up. Of course by then, I already knew about sex, but my mom decided it was that time. She sat me down in my room and she didn't even know what to say to me at first, she could barely look me in the eyes. Eventually, she worked up enough courage to speak and talked about waiting until marriage and STDs and pregnancy. So, I just hurried up and promised her that I wasn't going to have sex with any boys and we ended it there."

"I bet you never mentioned anything about girls." Spencer laughed.

"Nope." Emily laughed too. "I mean at that time I was still trying to figure out what I was. I was pretty sure that I was gay, but I was still really young, so I thought maybe I was just a little confused. Unfortunately for me though, after I came out and my mom had come to accept my sexuality, she felt the need to give me a second talk when I started dating my first girlfriend. I thought our first discussion was bad...but my mom trying to talk to me about lesbian sex. Game over."

"Aw. Your poor mom." Spencer laughed. "It must have been totally embarrassing."

"It was really embarrassing for both of us, but I honestly thought her head was going to explode like halfway through the conversation. She was all just because you can't get pregnant with this girl, doesn't mean you need to sleep with her. Don't give in to peer pressure Emily..."

"Yep, I definitely got the whole don't jump into anything or feel pressured speech from my sister…"

"Melissa doesn't think I'm pressuring you, does she?"

"No. Don't worry. I told her you weren't at all. I don't know why Melissa seems to be so obsessed with safeguarding my virginity."

"She's your big sister. It's her job. If I had a baby sister, I'd probably try to kill any guy or girl who even thought about trying anything."

"I guess I get that. I'm sure I'd be the same way."

"You know, Spence, you're lucky to have a sister who cares so much about you. When I was younger, I would have given anything to have a brother or sister. It was so lonely by myself."

"Aw. You don't have to be lonely anymore. You have me." Spencer said, gently patting Emily's chest with her open palm. "And Melissa and I have been getting along a lot better lately, I admit it's actually kind of nice."

"Is she okay with me? I mean I know you've said before that she is and I appreciate her keeping our secret, but is she really all right with us seeing each other?"

"She's fine with us. Don't worry so much. If she didn't like you, she would have ratted us out to my parents and had you fired the second she found out."

"I didn't mean to sound paranoid. I just want your family to like me because I love you, Spencer."

"I love you, too." Spencer wrapped her arms around Emily's body and laid her head on the architect's chest.

"So...do you feel like sleeping over tonight?"

"I'd love to, but I can't. I have to go to a family brunch at the country club tomorrow morning."

"Oh, okay. I guess I have to get up early for church anyway."

"I definitely wouldn't want you to be late for church." Spencer took the plain silver cross Emily was wearing around her neck between her fingers and looked at it. "I know it's important to you."

"It is, but maybe you can still come over later?" Emily gently ran her fingers through Spencer's hair.

"Sure. As soon as I can get away from the country club, I'll come over. We can spend the rest of the day together."

* * *

After Spencer had left for the evening, Emily walked into her bathroom, washed her face and brushed her teeth before heading into the bedroom to change clothes. Emily stripped off her jeans and shirt, leaving her in only her bra and underwear. Emily tossed her clothing into the hamper near the closet and reached into her top dresser drawer for a pair of pajama pants. Emily slipped on a pair of red plaid pajama bottoms, just as she about to close the dresser drawer, Emily noticed a photograph poking out from underneath her socks. Emily pulled the photo out of the drawer and looked it over. It was a picture of Stephanie. Emily shut the drawer and walked over to the bed with the photo in hand. She sat down on the edge of the bed, staring at the picture, she remembered taking it, not long after she and Stephanie started dating. It took Emily back to a much less complicated time during their relationship. Before the lying, the cheating and of course, the baby. Emily began to lose herself in thinking about her past and how different her life would be right now, if she and Stephanie had stayed together. Emily was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard her phone chime. She reached over to the nightstand and picked up her phone, seeing that she had a new text from Spencer.

**Hope you aren't sleeping yet. Just wanted to say goodnight. :) See you tomorrow. Love you. XOXO**

Emily smiled to herself as she began typing a response.

**Just getting ready for bed now. Love you too. Text me in the morning. Church should be over around 8. Sweet dreams. :)**

Emily set her phone back down on the nightstand and took another look at the photo of Stephanie in her hand.

"Sorry, Steph. But, I'm in love with someone else now...and she loves me back." Emily said aloud. "I don't regret being with you, but I think it's finally time to let you go. I need to let myself move on." She tore the photo in half once, then in half again.

Emily stood up and discarded the torn up photo into the trash can next to the bed. She knelt down on the floor beside her bed, Emily closed her eyes and folded her hands in front of her, resting her elbows on top of the bed as she assumed a typical praying position.

"Dear God, thank you for bringing Spencer into my life at a time where I needed love the most. I finally remember what it's like to love another person again and it feels great. She's made every struggle and challenge I've had to face these last few years completely worth it and I'm a stronger person now. I know there have been times in my life recently when my faith was weak and I'm sorry. So, I'm asking for your forgiveness. I understand now, you were just helping me to move in the right direction and on to a better life. Thank you…Amen."

Emily slowly opened her eyes and stood up. She walked over to the other side of the room, shut off the light and got into bed. She laid on her back and placed her hands behind her head, smiling as she thought about Spencer. It didn't take long at all for Emily to drift off to sleep, for tonight she finally felt liberated from all of the pain and emotional distress that had weighed so heavily on her heart and mind for the past two years of her life.


	29. Chapter 29

The next morning.

Spencer rolled over in bed and checked the time on her phone. She sent Emily a good morning text before heading off to the bathroom to shower.

When Spencer got out of the shower, she slipped on her bathrobe and pulled her hair back into a pony tail. Spencer glanced into the bathroom mirror, where she noticed a large, purple bruise on the right side of her neck.

"Crap." Spencer said, staring into the mirror at the mark on her neck.

Spencer opened the bathroom door and looked out into the hallway. Once she made sure her parents were nowhere in sight, she made her way back to her bedroom. Spencer quickly got dressed and pulled out her make up bag. She went through every type of concealer she had, applying each one in an attempt to cover the mark.

"Shit." Spencer groaned as she tried a third type of liquid make up to no avail.

Spencer then left her bedroom and walked down the hall, on her way to the barn, hoping that Melissa might have something to cover the prominent love bite that Emily had given her.

"Morning, sweetheart." Veronica said, stepping out of her own bedroom.

"Hi, mom." Spencer said, quickly turning her head so that her mother wouldn't see the right side of her body.

"You just about ready to go?"

"Uh, yeah. Almost."

"Good. I'll meet you downstairs in a few minutes."

"Okay."

Spencer then quickly walked down the stairs where she saw her father sitting on the couch in the living room, looking at the newspaper.

"You've gotta be kidding me." Spencer muttered under her breath.

Spencer covered the mark with her hand, pretending to scratch her neck as she made her way toward the door.

"Hey, sport. Where are you going?" Peter asked, looking up from his paper.

"Just out to my car for a minute. I think I left my lip gloss on the front seat."

"While you're out there, can you go tell your sister to put a move on it? I want to leave here within the next fifteen minutes."

"Sure, dad. No problem."

Spencer moved over to the door and swiftly slipped outside. She walked across the yard and opened the barn door. Wren was standing in front of the mirror in the living room adjusting his Hunter green, striped tie."

"Good morning, Spencer." Wren turned to face the brunette.

"Morning. Where's Melissa?"

"In the bedroom. Probably still getting dressed."

"Thanks." Spencer said as she walked down the short hallway.

Spencer pushed open the bedroom door, which was already slightly ajar.

"Spencer?" Melissa said. "What are you doing in here?"

"I need your help. Do you have anything that'll cover this?" Spencer asked, pointing to the right side of her neck. "I tried every concealer I have, nothing worked."

Melissa reached up and touched the mark with her index and middle fingers.

"That's one hell of a love bite Emily gave you."

"I didn't think it would be this noticeable. If mom and dad see it, they'll ask questions."

"You might be better off wearing a turtle neck, but I'll see what I can do. Go into the kitchen, get some ice and hold it on your neck for a few minutes. Hopefully, it'll reduce the swelling a little bit. Then we'll try to cover it up."

Spencer walked back into the kitchen and opened the freezer. She wrapped a few ice cubes in a dish towel.

"What's the ice for?" Wren asked, from the living room.

"Oh, I just twisted my ankle in hockey practice last week and it's kinda bugging me today, so I thought I should ice it."

"Would you like me to take a look?"

"Oh, no. It's fine, really. A little ice is all I need. Thanks, though."

"All right. You'll let me know if it continues to bother you..."

"Sure. Of course."

Spencer then made her way back into the bedroom, pressing the towel to her neck as soon as she was out of Wren's sight. She shuddered slightly at the chill of the ice against her exposed skin. Spencer paced about the room, holding the ice in place. After a few minutes, Spencer removed the ice from her neck.

"Sit down on the bed." Melissa said.

Melissa picked up a bottle of liquid concealer as well as a powdered foundation from her dresser. She unscrewed the lid on the bottle of liquid and applied a generous amount to a square make up sponge.

"Do you think this stuff will work?" Spencer asked.

"At ninety five dollars a bottle, it better." Melissa began applying the make up to Spencer's skin.

Once Melissa was finished with the liquid concealer, she tossed the sponge into the trash can and swirled a make up brush in the container of powdered foundation. Melissa meticulously brushed a layer of the light-colored powder over her sister's skin.

"I think that will be sufficient." Melissa said. "Crisis averted. Mom and dad will never know about your extracurricular activities with the architect."

Spencer stood up and walked over to the mirror. She looked at her neck where the mark had been.

"You can't even see it at all." Spencer said, touching her neck.

"You will if you rub all of the make up off. Don't touch it." Melissa said.

"Thanks, Melissa. I owe you one."'

"You're welcome. Just tell Emily to at least try to keep it in her pants, it's gonna get old pretty fast trying to hide huge hickeys from mom and dad all the time. Besides, make up can only do so much."

Melissa placed her make up back on the dresser before turning to her sister.

"Now, go throw that ice out in the sink. I need to finish getting myself ready. Tell Wren I'll be out in minute."

"Okay. Thanks again."

* * *

Later that morning.

Spencer sat at her parents' usual table at the country club, absently pushing her leftover food around on her plate.

"Spencer, honey, did you see Andrew Campbell is here?" Veronica asked looking across the table at her daughter.

"Yeah, I saw him." Spencer said with zero enthusiasm in her voice. "Why?"

"I was just thinking, he's such a nice boy, maybe it'd be nice if the two of you went out together."

Spencer rolled her eyes.

"He's a good kid, Spence." Peter said. "I like him."

"Then why don't you date him?" Spencer said, sarcastically.

"Is everything okay, sweetheart?" Veronica asked. "You seem a little on edge."

"I'm fine. I'm just not really into Andrew. We've known each other since we were kids, we're just friends any thing else would be weird."

"Andrew's not really her type, anyway." Alison said, walking up to Hastings' table, behind Spencer. "If I'm not mistaken, I think she likes them a little bit more rugged...don't you, Spence?"

"Yeah, I guess I do." Spencer glared at Alison.

"Well, there are still plenty of other nice, young men here for you to meet." Veronica said.

"I don't think Spencer's interested in meeting any boys..." Alison said. "She..."

"She's just not looking to date anyone, right?" Melissa quickly cut off Alison's sentence as she glanced over at her sister.

"Yeah. I'm just really busy with school and stuff."

"There's nothing wrong with being extra focused on your studies." Wren chimed in. "Besides, guys can be complete jerks anyway. You don't need one."

"Can I be excused? I just wanna go get some air." Spencer took her napkin from her lap and placed it on top of the table.

"Of course, honey." Veronica said.

"Thanks." Spencer stood up and grabbed Alison's arm, dragging her away from the dining room.

"What the hell was that all about, Alison?" Spencer snapped.

"What do you mean? I was just trying to give you a little nudge to tell your parents the truth."

"Do you really think that telling my parents that I'm for one, gay and two in love with our architect over brunch at the country club is at all appropriate? Or a good idea?"

"I'm just trying to help you out."

"You're not trying to help me at all. You want to see my parents freak out, you just can't ever be happy for anyone, can you? You know, even Melissa is actually being kind to me about this whole thing, why can't you? You're supposed to be my friend."

"Look, Spence, Emily's hot and everything, but don't forget she still lied to you about having a son. I'm only trying to protect you, sweetie." Alison reached up and took a lock of Spencer's hair between her fingers.

"You're wrong." Spencer quickly batted Alison's hand away. "That birth certificate you found belongs to her ex-fiancées son. The girl cheated on Emily with a guy and got pregnant, but Emily promised to marry her and raise the baby as her own. Her ex had the baby, Emily took care of both of them, just like she said she would only to have the bitch take off on her with the baby right before the wedding. So, I'd suggest keeping your mouth shut until you have all of the facts straight."

"So she doesn't have a kid. You're still not going to last. With you not putting out, I'm sure she'll be ready to jump on the next girl to show a little interest in her."

"No, she won't. We've talked and she's been nothing but respectful of my wanting to wait. You just hate that Emily loves me."

"What do you know?" Alison shrugged.

"Enough to know that I don't need to jump into bed with Emily to prove myself to her. We're not all as insecure as you are, Alison."

"Whatever. When things fall apart, don't come crying to me." Alison turned and walked off in the opposite direction.

Spencer then walked out onto one of the club's balconies and stared out at the tennis courts. She watched a few club members engage in a heated volley back and forth across the net.

"Spencer?"

Spencer turned around to see Wren standing behind her.

"Is everything all right?" Wren took a step closer to the brunette.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You left in a bit of a rush. Is it something to do with you and Emily, perhaps?"

"Emily? Our architect? What about her?"

"You don't have to pretend, Spencer. I know you and Emily have been seeing each other."

"You do?"

"Yes. Melissa told me. And I assume your friend Alison knows too?"

"Yeah..."

"You don't think she'd tell your parents, do you?"

"I don't think so. I think she likes to hold it over my head too much, but who knows for sure?"

"Listen, Spencer, I want you to know that Melissa and I are here for you, okay?"

"Thanks, Wren. It means a lot to me." Spencer stepped forward and hugged her soon to be brother-in-law.

"Don't worry yourself so much with what other people might think, as long as you and Emily are happy together, that's the only thing that should matter...now what do you say you come back to your family? Your mother wants us all to mingle."

"Great." Spencer said, sarcastically.

"Maybe it won't be so bad." Wren put his arm around Spencer's shoulder as they both walked back toward the dining room.

* * *

"So...how did your family brunch go over?" Emily asked as she placed her arm around her girlfriend.

"It sucked. My parents made us mingle with their friends the whole afternoon. My mom kept introducing me to all of these boys who she thinks would be perfect for me, even after I told her I don't want a boyfriend. I just wish you could have been there with me. You probably could have kept all of the nerdy guys from hitting on me. One of them was actually wearing a bow tie."

"Wow. Very nineteen fifties, huh?" Emily laughed.

"I know, right?" Spencer laughed too.

"God, it's so frustrating." Spencer sighed. "My mom doesn't listen, what part of I'm not interested in these guys does she not get?"

"It's a mom thing, I should know better than anyone else. My mom tried to get me to date just about every nice, single girl she knew."

"Yeah, but you're a total catch."

"So are you. Your mom's just trying to play you for the wrong team."

"Come here." Emily patted her own lap.

Spencer smiled and happily repositioned her own body so that she was sitting on top of Emily. The architect placed both of her hands on Spencer's shoulders and began slowly rubbing them. Spencer closed her eyes and leaned back into Emily's body.

"Try to relax a little bit, okay?" Emily said.

"Can you go to the left and just a little harder?"

"You got it." Emily shifted her hands and began rubbing Spencer's shoulders with a slightly stronger pressure. "How's that?

"That feels great."

Emily could sense a lot of tension as Spencer sat rigidly on top of her.

"What's wrong, princess?" Emily asked, placing a gentle kiss to Spencer's neck. "You've been awfully tense since you got here. Is there something else bothering you?"

"Alison just pissed me off at the country club today, that's all."

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"She was just being a bitch. Like my mom was telling me how I should date this one guy and Alison just kept making all of these snarky, subtle little comments around my parents alluding to me being gay. I mean she didn't like flat out tell them, they still don't know...but it's just irritating. Sometimes she's not that bad, then other times I question why we're even friends."

"Don't worry about her. It's probably just your average teenage girl bitchiness. Hopefully, she'll grow out of it."

"Did you ever know anyone like her?"

"Of course I did, but the queen bee types were the girls I tended to avoid, if possible. I kinda got teased a lot in high school by those types of girls."

"You did?" Spencer turned around and looked at Emily. "Why would anyone tease you?"

"For being gay, mostly. My dad was stationed at an Army base in Arkansas when I was a sophomore. I came to school in the middle of the year and I always had trouble making friends, but for whatever reason I got pretty close to this girl who Alison actually reminds me a lot of. We started hanging out and I guess I sort of developed a crush on her. One afternoon, we were studying at her house and I got this overwhelming urge to kiss her...so I did."

"Was she your first girlfriend?"

"No. I wanted her to be, but she apparently didn't feel the same way. I mean I felt like she always kind of flirted with me and I thought she was into the kiss, she didn't stop me, although we really didn't talk about it afterward. I assumed we'd just go to school the next day and not talk about the kiss. But, the next day, was absolute hell for me. She outed me to everyone at school and made fun of me every single day after that, along with all of my other classmates. I even quit the swim team because kids would tease, saying the only reason I joined the team was to get to see girls in their bathing suits. Small town in a conservative state, I should have known that's what would have happened, but it was still hard. I'd go home and pretty much cry myself to sleep on a nightly basis. Sometimes, I'd even pray to God to fix me, you know, make me straight, so I could be the same as everyone else and I wouldn't have to feel so alone."

"Aw, Em." Spencer turned around and wrapped her arms tightly around her girlfriend. "You can't fix what isn't broken."

"I know that now, but at the time, I didn't know what else to do. I didn't trust anybody and I had no one to turn to. Things were already hard enough for me at home. I came out to my mom a few weeks before we moved to Arkansas. She'd barely even look at me and when she did, I could tell she was so disappointed, I felt like she wanted me to just disappear."

"What about your dad, didn't you talk to him?"

"My dad was so busy getting ready for deployment at that time, I felt too guilty to bring up my problems when he was leaving to fight in a war."

"You really haven't had an easy life..." Spencer said as she gently ran her fingers over Emily's cheek. "It breaks my heart."

"I spent a lot of time being ashamed of who I was and I know it sounds cliché, but it really does get better. One morning I was at school, standing at my locker, getting picked on by a group of girls from my biology class, including my former best friend. Out of nowhere, this pretty, popular, senior girl who I didn't even know walks over and tells all of them to go hell and leave me alone. She hugged me and told me not to let them get to me. She said there was nothing wrong with me and that I was stronger than I realized. She was the first person to ever stand up for me. We became pretty good friends and she convinced me get back on the swim team. She even gave me the confidence I needed to start standing up for myself. Things got so much better once I stopped feeling embarrassed about who I was. Kids stopped teasing me because they saw that it didn't bother me anymore. My relationship with my mom became a lot stronger, once we both realized that you can't change who you are, no matter how hard you try, so you might as well embrace it. Later that year, I even started dating my first girlfriend."

"Why didn't you ever tell me any of this before?" Spencer asked.

"I don't usually like to share my worst high school memories. Especially not with my girlfriend, it kills the mood." Emily laughed.

"I guess it would."

"Now, enough of my sob stories, what do you say you let make you dinner?"

"Sure. What do you have?"

"Let me check."

Emily got up off of the couch and walked into the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator and looked around at its contents, or rather lack there of.

"So...what are you making?" Spencer asked as she wrapped her arms around Emily from behind.

"Slight change of plans. Apparently I forgot to go grocery shopping. How do you feel about going out for dinner?"

"Sure. You wanna head over to the Grille?"

"Sounds good to me." Emily closed the refrigerator door.

"So...are you planning on staying attached to me all night..." Emily asked after a few moments of Spencer still clinging tightly to her.

"I'm just not done hugging you yet." Spencer said as she wrapped her arms tighter around Emily's abdomen.

Emily smiled to herself and turned around to face Spencer. Spencer stared up into Emily's eyes for a moment before placing her hand behind her girlfriend's neck and pulling her down for a kiss.

"I love you, Em." Spencer said when the kiss was broken.

"I love you, too." Emily tucked a stray strand of Spencer's hair behind her ear.

After a moment or two, Emily and Spencer walked toward the front door of Emily's apartment.

"It's chilly out." Emily said as she plucked her favorite leather jacket off of the hook near the door and held it out for Spencer to slip on.

"Thanks." Spencer smiled, slipping her arm through one of the sleeves, followed by the other.

"I'll drive." Emily pulled her car keys from her pocket as She and Spencer walked out the door.


	30. Chapter 30

When they got to the Grille that evening, Emily and Spencer both got out of Emily's car and headed toward the door. Emily opened the door and waited for Spencer to enter first. They were promptly taken to a table not far from the front counter. Spencer slipped Emily's jacket off of her own body and hung it on the back of the chair before sitting down.

"So...I had a pretty hard time trying to cover the huge hickey you gave me yesterday." Spencer said, opening her menu. "Luckily, Melissa had some really good concealer."

"Sorry." Emily laughed. "Sometimes I can get a little carried away..."

"It's okay. At least it felt good." Spencer laughed.

A minute later a waitress approached the table.

"Hello. Can I get you two something to drink?" The waitress asked.

"Could I just have ice water with lemon?" Emily asked.

"Sure." The waitress then turned to Spencer. "And for you?"

"Raspberry iced tea, please."

"All right. I'll bring that right out."

"Thanks." Spencer said as the waitress turned to walk away.

"So, how are your plans for the new strip mall coming along?" Spencer asked.

"Pretty good. I'm actually almost finished with them. I told the owners I'd have my sketches to them some time this week."

"You know, Hanna would probably want to marry you, if she knew you were designing a mall."

"She likes to shop, huh?" Emily laughed.

"She's the biggest shopaholic I know. She's at the mall almost every day after school. It's ridiculous. Thank God Hanna has Mona because I don't think I could survive having to watch her try on shoes everyday."

"I'm familiar with that pain. I've had girlfriends who'd drag me to the mall and ask my opinion on every single little thing. Then they'd yell at me because I'd tell them everything looked nice. What else am I supposed to say? I'm a girlfriend, not a stylist. I don't know anything about clothes, besides, I don't want to say the wrong thing. I think I was probably only brought along so that I could be forced to lug around all of the bags."

"Aw." Spencer laughed. "I'd never make you do that."

"I'd be more than happy to do it for you, though." Emily smiled softly across the table at her girlfriend.

"You're so cute."

A moment later the waitress returned with two drinks in her hands, she set them down on the table and then took Spencer and Emily's food orders.

"How was church today? Is that like weird to ask?"

"No, not at all. Church was fine. Pretty much the same as it is every week, but I'm flattered that you care enough to ask."

"Of course I care. I'm your girlfriend...I love being able to say that, by the way."

"What? That you're my girlfriend?"

"Yeah." Spencer smiled.

"Good. If you're happy, I'm happy." Emily raised her water glass to her lips. "How's everything going at school?"

"Pretty good. I'm staying busy. I wanted to ask you, I have a hockey game on Friday. You think you might be able to make it for a little bit?"

"What time?"

"It starts at six, but even if you could just take a break from work and make part of it, I could really use the support."

"I'll be there. I'll even work through lunch that day, so I can finish up work early and get there by six."

"You'd do that for me?"

"Absolutely. I want to be there for you."

"Thanks, Em. You're totally sweet."

"You bring it out in me." Emily reached across the table and took Spencer's hand.

After about twenty minutes or so, the waitress returned with Emily and Spencer's orders.

"Here's yours." She set one plate in front of Spencer. "And this one's yours." She set the other in front of Emily. "Enjoy. I'll be back to check on you two in a few minutes."

"Thank you." Emily said, looking up at the woman.

* * *

When Emily and Spencer finished eating, they sat at their table for a while, enjoying each other's company.

"Can I get you anything else this evening?" The waitress asked.

"I think we're fine, thanks." Emily said.

"Okay, then. Would you like separate checks?"

"No. You can put it on one." Emily said.

"Okay. I'll be right back."

"Thank you." Emily replied.

A few minutes later, Spencer glanced over Emily's shoulder where she noticed her father standing at the front counter of the restaurant.

"Shit." Spencer whispered.

"What's wrong?" Emily asked, noticing that Spencer was staring at something behind her.

"My dad's here."

Emily began to turn to look over her shoulder.

"No, don't look at him." Spencer said.

Spencer quickly averted her eyes, attempting not to be noticed by her father as his gaze absently wandered about the restaurant, while waiting for his order. A moment later, one of the clerks at the counter handed Peter two large, paper coffee cups. As Peter turned to leave, he noticed his daughter sitting a table a few feet away with another woman, whom he didn't immediately recognize from the back. Mr. Hastings walked over to the table and was surprised to find Emily sitting with his daughter.

"Hi, dad..." Spencer said. "Wh...what are you doing here?"

"Your mom was craving a latte..." Peter then turned to Emily. "How are you doing tonight, Emily?"

"Just fine, sir. And yourself?" Emily said, nervously.

"I'm doing well. Thanks. I thought you said you were studying with your friends tonight?" Peter looked over at Spencer.

"I was. We met here for coffee and studied for a while, but I decided to stay a little bit longer after they left and that's when I ran into Emily. I was hungry, so I invited her to have dinner with me. We actually just finished eating, I was about to call Melissa for a ride home."

"Perfect timing, then." Peter said. "I'll just take you home. Save your sister a trip."

"Okay. We're just waiting our check." Spencer said.

When the waitress returned, she smiled at Peter.

"I'll take care of this." Peter said, intercepting the check before it got to Emily.

"Oh, no. Mister Hastings, you really don't have to do that...I couldn't..." Emily said.

Peter waved one of the coffee cups he was holding dismissively at the architect.

"I won't take no for an answer." He then set one of the coffee cups down on the table, fished his bank card out of his wallet and handed it to the waitress.

"I'll bring you a receipt." The waitress took the card and walked off toward the register.

"Thank you very much." Emily said, looking up at Peter. "I appreciate your generosity, but that really wasn't necessary."

"Nonsense. For all of the extra work you're doing, it's the least I could do."

When the waitress returned, she handed Peter back his bank card and a pen to sign the receipt. Peter scribbled his name down on the receipt and handed it back to the waitress.

"Thank you." The waitress said. "You all have a good night."

The waitress shot Emily a slightly flirty smile and gently touched the architect's shoulder as she walked away. The gesture didn't go unnoticed by Spencer, but she did her best not to appear jealous in front of her father.

"I think someone likes you." Peter said, looking at Emily.

"I'm sorry?" Emily said, her brain not registering that Peter had been referring to the waitress, not Spencer.

"That waitress. She was definitely eyeing you up." Peter said.

"Oh, I don't know about that." Emily said. "I think she was just being nice."

"You're much too modest." Peter said. "Well, Spence…what do you say we get home before your mother's latte gets cold?"

"Okay, dad. I just need to use the restroom before we go." Spencer stood up.

"All right."

"Thank you again for dinner." Emily stood up as well, her gaze focused on Peter.

"You're welcome. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"That reminds me, I picked up your new bathroom fixtures from the hardware store. I'm going to install them tomorrow."

"Perfect. I can't wait to see the finished product."

"I'm sure everything will look great. I really like the counter top and cabinets you and your wife picked out."

"If the professional likes them, they must be good." Peter said, priding himself on his choice. "Well...have a good night, Emily. Good to see you."

"You too, sir."

Mr. Hastings extended his hand to Emily, who reciprocated with a firm handshake.

"I'll meet you in the car, Spence." Peter said, picking up his coffee cups from the table.

"Okay. I'll be out in a minute."

Once Peter left, Emily reached into her pocket, pulled out some money for a tip and left it on the table.

"Here's your jacket back." Spencer said, handing the jacket to Emily. "Thanks for letting me borrow it."

"You're welcome."

Emily then followed Spencer to a small waiting area near the front of the restaurant.

"Em, I'm really sorry about my dad cutting our date short tonight." Spencer placed her arm around the small of Emily's back and gently rubbed her girlfriend's stomach with the open palm of her other hand.

"Don't worry about it. The important thing is that he believed your story about running into me. I just really wish he hadn't paid for dinner, now I feel really guilty."

"Don't. My dad loves throwing his money around, the reason doesn't even matter, it's just what he does."

Spencer took a moment to look up into Emily's soft, dark eyes and give her girlfriend a reassuring smile.

"You should probably get going. I don't want you to keep your dad waiting."

"Okay."

"Text me later tonight."

"I will."

Emily then leaned down and placed a gentle kiss to Spencer's lips.

"See you tomorrow." Emily said.

"I can't wait." Spencer wrapped her arms around Emily for a quick embrace.

"Bye, Spence."

"Bye" Spencer said before turning and heading out the door.

Spencer walked over to her father's car, which was parked a few feet away from the restaurant.

"So…what did you and Emily talk about tonight?" Peter asked as he backed out of the parking space.  
"A little bit of everything. She talked a lot about work."

"I don't blame her. She's a good architect, she should be proud of herself."

"I know. The sketches she did for our house were great."

"I can't believe that our addition will be finished in just a few more weeks."

"I know. I've gotten so used to having Emily and her crew at our house."

"Have you gotten to talk to Emily much since she's been working for us?"

"Some. She's been really nice."

"I've recommended her to a lot of members at the club."

"You have?"

"Absolutely. I know a couple who's in the market to build a new house just outside Philadelphia, this spring. They're really hoping to snag Emily for the job."

When Peter and Spencer arrived home that night, they both got out of the car and made their way to the house.

"I was going to try to catch the end of the Flyers game." Peter said, glancing over at Spencer. "You want to watch it with me?"

"Sure, dad."

"Great. Just let me run this coffee to your mother. I'll be back in a minute. Turn the game on."

Spencer picked up the TV remote, turned on the game and sat down on the couch.

"Are the Flyers ahead, Spence?" Peter asked as he walked down the stairs.

"Yep. Two goals to one."

"Great. I'm going to grab a beer, do you want a soda or something while I'm up?"

"Sure. Sounds good."

Peter walked over to the refrigerator and opened the door. He took a bottle of imported beer from the bottom shelf and soda for Spencer before heading back into the living room.

"Thanks." Spencer said as she took the drink from her father as he sat down next to her.

"So…I thought you usually watched the games with Wren?"

"I do, but, just between you and me, I like watching hockey with you a lot better. I think Wren just pretends to like it for my sake."

Spencer laughed.

"We should go to a game together some time." Spencer said.

"We should. It's been a while since we've done any real father-daughter bonding. It'd be fun."

Spencer moved a little closer to her father on the couch to watch the remainder of the game.

* * *

"Overtime and a shoot out." Peter said. "It was a hard win for sure, but I knew the Flyers would be able to pull that one out."

"Me too." Spencer agreed.

"I should probably be heading upstairs." Peter said, standing up. "You coming, Spence?"

"In a few minutes."

"Okay. Just do me a favor and turn out the yard lights before you go to bed."

"Okay, I will."

"And don't stay up too late. Goodnight."

"Night, dad."

Spencer pulled her phone from her pocket and laid down on the couch as she began typing a text to Emily.

Hey! Are you in bed yet?

Hey! :) Not yet. I'm just watching TV. I'll probably be up for a little while.

Will you be here before I leave for school tomorrow morning?

Of course. I wouldn't miss out on seeing your beautiful face to start out my day.

Aw! Thanks, Em. :)

It's true. But, you should get to bed. I don't want you to be tired for school in the morning.

Okay. Btw I really like our before bed texting. :) Goodnight, Em. I love you. XOXO

Goodnight, Spence. I love you too. A lot. See you in the morning.

Spencer smiled to herself upon receiving Emily's text and slowly got up off of the couch. She walked into the kitchen, turned off the yard lights and headed upstairs to her room.


	31. Chapter 31

The next morning.

"Your dad caught you with Emily last night?" Hanna asked as she shut her locker door. "Did he like flip out?"

"No. I told him I just ran into her at the coffee shop and I invited her to have dinner with me. He didn't question it."

"You're lucky, Spence." Aria said. "That could have been pretty ugly if he had caught you kissing her or something."

"I know. It's getting harder and harder everyday to keep Emily a secret. And it's so frustrating. I want everyone to know we're a couple, because I hate it when other girls flirt with Emily, but at the same time I don't want anyone to know because I know what could happen if my dad finds out."

"Do other girls hit on Emily a lot?" Hanna asked. "…Never mind, of course they do, she's gorgeous." Hanna rolled her eyes at even her own question.

"Our waitress last night was definitely hitting on Emily. It took all I had to not stand up and punch her in the face, but my dad was standing right there, so I couldn't have said anything. Even my dad noticed that she was flirting with Emily. He then went on to give Em that 'she totally wants you to do her' look that guys give each other." Spencer rolled her eyes.

"I know that look." Aria said. "Noel and his friends do it all the time, even when I'm standing right there. So annoying."

"Guys are such pigs." Hanna said. "Good thing Emily's a girl. You're super lucky, you've got the best of both worlds with her. Emily's tall, strong and protective, she knows how to fix things and build houses and stuff. And she likes to cook. You've pretty much got it all with her, provided that she's not one of those girls who likes to talk endlessly about all of her feelings…I assume she isn't though."

"Definitely not. I mean, Emily's sweet and sensitive and she's opened up a lot to me when I've wanted her to, but we don't sit around and talk about how every little thing makes us feel."

"Perfect." Hanna said. "Now all you have to do is hope she's good in bed and you'll be all set."

"I'm sure she'll be fine." Spencer said, smirking a little.

"How far have you guys gone?" Hanna asked. "I mean you've at least seen her naked right?"

"No. Why would I?"

"You're at her apartment a lot. I just thought that sooner or later you might have seen her naked, even by accident or something."

"Nope. Never. I've seen her in a towel, but that's about it."

"Okay, but you guys are getting closer to doing it, right? You've slept in the same bed before…"

"Han, chill out, okay?" Aria said. "Maybe Spence doesn't want to talk about this."

"It's cool." Spencer said. "Yeah, we have slept in the same bed, but only once. Emily's pretty nice to spoon with though."

"Yeah, I bet." Hanna said.

"She snores too, but I think it's cute and it's nice being able to hear her."

"I can't wait until you guys are like officially out." Hanna reached over and touched Spencer's elbow as they walked down the hall. "You make the most adorable couple."

"You totally do." Aria agreed. "How much longer will Emily be working at your house?"

"Another few weeks."

"I guess a few weeks isn't that long. You guys have made it this far." Aria said.

"Yeah. It still can't come soon enough though."

A moment later the girls heard the bell ring in the hall way.

"We better get to class." Spencer said. "See ya guys later."

The girls then all split up and began walking in opposite directions toward their respective classrooms.

* * *

Later that afternoon.

Emily had been working on installing the sink in the Hastings' new bathroom. She was working alone, as she had allowed her crew to work only half of a day. Emily's phone was blaring one of her favorite Pandora radio stations as she worked, causing her not to hear someone open the outside door to the addition.

"Hi, Emily."

Emily pulled her head out from the cabinet underneath the sink and looked up to see Alison standing in front of her. Emily pulled her phone out of her pocket and silenced her music.

"Hi, Alison. What's up?" Emily stood up and wiped her hands off on a rag, which she pulled from her tool belt.

"Nothing much."

"Is Spencer here, too?"

"No. Just me."

"Oh. Well, is there something you needed?"

"Not really. I'm just bored. How are things going between you and Spencer?"

"Great. I'm really lucky to have her."

"It's too bad she won't sleep with you though."

"It's okay. I'm perfectly fine with waiting until Spencer's ready. It's really no big deal."

"It doesn't bother you that you've been together for over a month and she'll barely let you get to second base? Is Spencer just that bad at making out that she doesn't even turn you on?"

"That's not it at all. Losing her virginity is important to Spencer and I respect that. I've got no problem whatsoever with taking things slow."

"Have you ever taken someone's virginity before?"

"Yes." Emily said, a slight upward inflection in her voice, signaling her surprise at the openness of Alison's question.

"How many girls have you been with, exactly? I bet it's a lot..."

"Is this Spencer's not-so-subtle way of trying to find out how many sexual partners I've had? Having you ask me, so she doesn't have to?"

"No. I was just asking."

"Oh. Well…that's a bit of a personal question, don't you think?"

"Maybe?" Alison shrugged.

"Why are we having this conversation?"

"Why not?"

"Do you usually answer peoples' questions with other questions?"

"Depends. I'm just curious as to why you haven't tried anything with Spencer yet…I thought people like you were supposed to be pretty big horn dogs."

"People like me?" Emily questioned. "You mean lesbians?"

"No. Construction workers."

"Oh. You're playing that old stereotype, huh? I work in the construction industry with mostly men, so that must automatically make me a pig? Honestly, you're way off. I'm always one hundred percent respectful of the girls that I date and Spencer's no exception…I know you've kind of been giving her a rough time about being a virgin and about dating me."

"So?" Alison said nonchalantly. "What's your point?"

"My point is, I want it to stop. I've held my tongue for a long time now, but I can't anymore. You obviously don't respect me, the way you talk down to me and going through my personal property…at first I just brushed it off, assumed that maybe you were only trying to look out for a friend, but it doesn't seem like you respect Spencer very much either. She doesn't deserve to be treated the way that you treat her...by anyone, let alone by someone who's supposed to be a friend."

"So what are you like her guard dog now?"

"In a way, I guess I am. I'm her girlfriend, that makes it my responsibility to protect her."

"And tell me, who's going to protect you when daddy finds out about all of the overtime the architect's been putting in with his daughter?"

"I guess we'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it."

"I guess so...but you know, it'd be a real shame if Mister Hastings was to find out sooner than expected...wouldn't it?" Alison said with obvious snark in her voice. "I hope you're prepared to deal with the fallout."

"Are you threatening me?"

"I'm just making an observation. I know the Hastings a lot better than you do."

"Listen, Alison, I really don't know what you have against me, but I think you know that if you're the one to tell Spencer's parents about us, it'll hurt her a lot more than it'll hurt me. Sure, Mister Hastings might fire me, but it won't change the way I feel about his daughter. So you go ahead and do what ever it is that you feel like you need to do, but in the end, I think we both know that I'm definitely not worth ruining a friendship with someone as amazing as Spencer. Girls like her are hard to find and there aren't many of them out there. I've looked."

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a job to do." Emily reached into her tool belt, pulled out a wrench and knelt down on the floor to resume work on the bathroom sink.

Alison didn't say another word as she turned to walk out of the Hastings' house. She was obviously more than surprised by Emily's reaction.

* * *

About an hour later, Spencer entered the house and found Emily standing in the shower stall, working on installing a new shower head.

"Hey, Em."

"Hey, Spence." Emily turned around, leaned out of the stall and kissed her girlfriend.

"You know, this isn't exactly what comes to mind when I fantasize about you in the shower." Spencer laughed. "You're usually wearing less clothes."

Emily chuckled a little, but Spencer was surprised that Emily didn't reciprocate with a joke, like she normally did.

"Hey. Is everything all right?" Spencer asked reaching out and touching Emily's forearm.

"Um, yeah…can we talk for a minute?"

"Sure. Do you want to come into the house?"

"Yeah. I need to go turn the water back on anyway."

Spencer followed Emily around to the side of the house where she reached down and turned the valve, restoring the water supply to the house. Emily and Spencer then walked in the side door and through the kitchen. Spencer set her book bag down on the floor and sat down on the couch, she took Emily's hand and pulled her down into a seated position as well.

"What's wrong, Em? You don't seem like yourself."

"Alison was over here a little while ago…I think she might tell your parents about us."

"What? What did she say to you?"

"It started out with her just asking me a bunch of personal questions. I stood up for you and told her I wanted her to let up on you about us not sleeping together and us dating in general. Then she made it sound like she was going to go to your dad and tell him about us."

"What did you say?"

"I told her to do what ever she wants, it won't change anything between you and I. Obviously, I don't want to get fired by your dad, but I guess what ever happens, happens. I love you and that's all that matters."

"I love you too." Spencer leaned in and wrapped her arms around Emily. "And don't worry, I really don't think Alison will tell my dad anything."

"You don't?"

"No. What would she have to hold over my head if she did? Alison just likes to talk a big game. Besides, everyone knows she's a liar, my dad probably wouldn't believe her anyway."

"I just don't understand what I did to her. I mean I've tried to be nice and everything."

"You didn't do anything, sweetie." Spencer said, gently stroking Emily's cheek with her thumb. "Sometimes Alison's just a bitch for the sake of being a bitch. Don't worry about it."

A moment later, Emily and Spencer heard the front door open. They both stood up as Veronica walked in the door.

"Hi, mom." Spencer said. "I thought you were going to be late tonight?"

"I was supposed to be, but my last two meetings got canceled."

Veronica then turned to Emily.

"Hi, Emily. How are you?"

"Good, thanks. And yourself?"

"Glad to be home."

"I know that feeling. I was actually just on my way out for the day. I turned your water back on, but I'm not quite finished working on the new bathroom yet. I'll be back tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, Emily."

"No problem. I'll see you tomorrow. Have a good night."

"You too." Veronica said as she set her bag down on the kitchen island.

Emily smiled at Spencer and mouthed the words "call me later" once Veronica had turned around. She then turned and quietly made her way out the door. A few moments later, Spencer and Veronica heard a knock at the door, followed by Emily stepping back in the front door.

"Did you forget something?" Veronica asked, smiling at Emily.

"No, ma'am. I hate to be a pain, but your BMW is blocking my truck in a little bit." Emily said. "It's kind of my fault, I parked crooked, but I don't think I can get past your car without backing into your mailbox."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Emily." Veronica said. "I'll come move it."

"I can do it." Spencer said.

"Thank you, sweetheart." Veronica picked up her keys from the kitchen counter and handed them to her daughter.

Spencer then followed Emily outside, she got into her mother's car and repositioned it out of the way. She stepped out of the car and walked over to Emily's truck.

"Thanks." Emily said.

"You're welcome." Spencer smiled.

Emily then leaned down and kissed Spencer goodbye.

"See you tomorrow?" Emily asked, when the kiss was broken as she took Spencer's hand in her own.

"Tomorrow." Spencer nodded.

Emily then slowly pulled away, Spencer was reluctant to let go of the architect's hand, but when she finally did, Emily got into her truck, started the engine and drove off. Spencer turned and walked back into the house. She set her mother's keys back on the kitchen counter.

"You know, Emily is just so personable." Veronica said, leafing through a pile of mail she had brought in with her. "I'm really glad your father and I picked her. Your dad said you ran into her at The Grille last night and you two had dinner?"

"Oh. Yeah we did. It was nice."

"Good. So...I just found out that my Friday meetings got pushed up to Thursday afternoon, so it looks like I'll be able to come to your hockey game."

"How did you know I have a game?"

"All of the games are listed on the school's athletic calendar. I have a copy hanging up in my office."

"Oh. Well, listen mom, you really don't have to come. I know you're busy and everything..."

"I want to be there. I know I don't have the opportunity to come to many of your games. Oh and before I forget, I wanted to tell you, I had a business lunch with Missus Thompson today and she said her son's really got his eye on you. What do you say the two of you make plans to go out some time."

"I'm pretty sure we've had this conversation before. He's a nice guy and everything, but not really my type at all."

"Oh, Spencer, you say that about every boy." Veronica said, picking up her phone and beginning to type a message.

"Exactly. Are you seeing the pattern here, mom? It's not just him or Andrew…" Spencer swallowed hard before continuing her sentence. "I'm not interested in any guy, okay?"

Veronica set her phone down and stared across the island at her daughter.

"Spencer, are you trying to tell me that..."

"Yes." Spencer cut her mother off. "It's exactly what you think. I'm telling you that I'm gay. I don't want you to set me up with any guys because I'm gay."

"Sweetheart, why didn't you tell me sooner?" Veronica asked as she walked over to her daughter.

"I don't know. I wasn't even sure myself, until recently and when I did figure it out, I didn't know what to say. Besides, you're never home anyway. When would I have told you? You're usually gone by the time I leave for school and bringing it up at the club over Sunday brunch with the whole family would have been awkward and the rest of the time you're either out of town or too busy worrying about helping Melissa plan her wedding."

"I'm sorry I haven't been giving you enough attention, lately." Veronica said, sympathetically as she hugged her daughter. "I'm just busy at work and this is an important time in Melissa's life, it doesn't mean I love you any less. I'm sorry that I made you feel that way."

"So you're not mad that I'm gay?"

"Of course not. Your father and I love you no matter what, you know that."

"Good. Because I have something else that I need to say...I lied to dad last night...I didn't just happen to run into Emily at The Grille. We've been seeing each other."

"You've been dating Emily?" Veronica asked, calmly. "Our architect?"

"Yeah. So please don't be angry at her. She's been nothing but sweet to me and I love being with her."

"Come sit down with me." Veronica took Spencer's hand and led her over to the living room couch. "How long has this been going on between the two of you?"

"A little over a month. I promise Emily was never anything less than professional. She's always been more than willing to listen to me talk, while she works. It's been really nice having someone to talk to who understands what I've been going through. She's a great listener and she actually cares about what I have to say. We slowly became friends and everything just sort of went from there…are you angry?"

"Not angry. Just surprised." Veronica said. "I do think Emily's a little old for you…"

"I knew you probably wouldn't be thrilled about the age difference between us, but when you think about it, it's only five years."

"Yes, but when it's five years between high school and college, that can make a big difference, but I suppose what's done is done."

"So, you'll let us keep seeing each other?"

"I don't see much sense in trying to keep you apart, if you want to be together, you'd find a way."

"I really do care about her. She's sweet and kind and..."

"Spencer, honey, you don't need to justify to me what you see in Emily. She's older, well-educated, charming, polite, attractive and she has a very nice physique to go along with all of that. Believe me, I understand. Now, who knows about you and Emily?"

"My friends know. And Melissa and Wren and Emily's parents..."

"Emily's parents are all right with your relationship?"

"Yeah, but they live in Texas. I met her mom once before we were dating when she was visiting Emily, but I haven't met her dad. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, I wanted to, but we were planning on waiting until she finished the job here. I was just afraid you might fire her. I don't want her to lose her job because of me."

"I'm not going to fire her, but I think it would be in everyone's best interest if we didn't mention this relationship to your father until after Emily's finished working here. I'm much calmer and more understanding than he is. You know that your father can be a bit hotheaded at times, I don't want him to get upset and make a quick, irrational decision about her."

"Thanks, mom." Spencer leaned over and hugged her mother. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, honey." Veronica said, gently running her hand up and down Spencer's back. "I want you to know that you can always come to me about anything."

After a few minutes, Spencer pulled away and looked at her mother.

"I invited Emily to my hockey game on Friday."

"Good. We can sit together. If you two are going to date, I think it would be a good idea for me to get know her better."

"Just please don't do anything embarrassing, okay?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know, like show her my baby pictures or something."

"Oh, I think the baby pictures would be best saved for later. Maybe over coffee after dinner some night. I'll need some time to dig out the best ones." Veronica laughed.

"Oh God." Spencer groaned.

"Don't worry, honey, I promise I won't embarrass you. But, I do need to ask you something..."

"What is it?"

"Are you and Emily sexually active? I won't be angry if you say yes, I just want you to be honest with me."

"Mom!" Spencer immediately blushed. "That's a perfect example of something not to talk to Emily about…and we really don't need to have this conversation. Emily and I aren't having sex."

"Okay. Now, you know that becoming intimate is a huge step in a relationship and you don't have to take that step if you're not ready to. You don't need to rush things just because Emily's older and probably more experienced..."

"I know and I'm not rushing into anything."

"Good. I'm glad."

"If we're done here, I'm gonna go call Emily and tell her that I told you about us."

"All right. But before you go, while Emily's still employed here, if she's on the clock, I expect her to be working."

"Of course she will. She always does. Thanks again, mom. You're amazing." Spencer hugged her mother one more time before getting up off of the couch and pulling her phone from her pocket.


	32. Chapter 32

Hey, everyone! Sorry it's taken so long to update this. I've been busy and having a little writer's block hasn't helped. I definitely welcome your suggestions as to scenes you'd maybe like to see. Maybe some suggestions might help get me back into the swing of things. Thanks! Anyway, this isn't the longest or most substantial chapter, but I wanted to give you guys at least a little something. Hope you enjoy it, nonetheless.  
-Fender18

* * *

That evening, Emily had been sitting at her desk, putting the finishing touches on an architectural drawing when her phone began ringing. She picked her phone up front the corner of her desk and saw that it was Spencer on the other end.

"Hello?" Emily raised her phone to her ear.

"Hey, Em." Spencer said, her voice noticeably upbeat. "Are you home?"

"Hey, Spence. Yeah, I just got home a little while ago. What's up? Did I leave something at your house?"

"No. I just wanted to tell you that I came out to my mom."

"You did? How did she take it?"

"Very well. She doesn't have a problem at all with me being gay."

"That's great. I bet you feel pretty relieved."

"I really do. Now, my mom won't try to set me up with any more guys."

"Yeah, she'll probably want to hook you up with every cute, single girl in the tri-state area." Emily laughed. "Or maybe that's just my mom..."

"I don't think my mom will try to hook me up with anyone...don't get upset, but I also told her about us..."

"Your mom knows about us?" Emily asked nervously, she could feel her heart racing a mile a minute. "What did she say?"

"Em, it's okay. She's not angry. I know I should have talked to you first, but she was trying to hook me up with this guy, that's when I told her I was gay, she was understanding and supportive and the rest just sort of spilled out."

"So she's okay with us dating?"

"Yes. Don't worry."

"What about your dad?"

"My mom thinks we should wait to tell him. She said she doesn't want him to make an irrational decision about you."

"So that pretty much means she thinks he'll be pissed when he finds out?"

"He might be, but let's not even think about that right now, okay?" Spencer said, reassuringly. "My mom's on our side. Let's just take this one step at a time."

"Okay, you're right. Having your mom support us is amazing. So she wasn't angry or anything?"

"No, she was just surprised."

"Should I like go to her and talk about this? I don't want her to think I don't care about what she thinks, but I feel like it'll be awkward..."

"It couldn't possibly be more awkward than the part of our mother/daughter conversation when my mom asked if you and I were sexually active."

"Oh God, what did you tell her?"

"I told her we aren't, that is the truth, isn't it? Because I'm going to be very disappointed if I find out that we had sex at some point and I missed it." Spencer laughed.

"Sorry, Spence. That was a stupid question. I'm just not exactly sure how to you know like approach your mom."

"Approach her the same as you always have. She likes you and she already thinks you're polite and charming."

"She does?"

"Yep. And don't sound so surprised. You're totally charming and polite."

"Thanks. I try."

"Can you come to work a little early tomorrow morning? We can have breakfast together before I leave for school. My dad has an early meeting, so he won't be home."

"I'd love to."

"Perfect. I'll see you in the morning, then. I love you, Em."

"I love you too."

"I'll text you before I go to bed."

"Great. I'll talk to you later. Bye, Spence."

* * *

The next morning.

Spencer woke up extra early and went downstairs to begin making breakfast. Spencer opened the refrigerator and took out a carton of eggs and a package of bacon. Spencer then took out a loaf of bread to make some French toast.

"Morning, Spence." Peter said, walking into the kitchen. "You're up early."

"Oh. Yeah, I just wanted to make some breakfast before school."

"Looks like you've got quite an appetite this morning." Peter laughed, noticing the over abundance of food that Spencer was in the middle of preparing.

"I guess I got a little carried away." Spencer laughed too. "But, I'm sure what ever I don't eat, Melissa and Wren probably will. Do you want some French toast?"

"No, thanks. I really need to get going. I'll just grab some coffee and be on my way."

Peter opened one of the kitchen cabinets and pulled out a blue and red University of Pennsylvania travel mug.

"Sorry, I won't be able to make it to your hockey game on Friday, champ." Peter said as he filled his mug with coffee. "I have to be in New York by Friday morning."

"It's okay, dad. It's really no problem."

"Your mother's still planning on going, isn't she?"

"Yeah, she's coming."

"Good. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay. Bye dad."

"Bye, Spence." Peter grabbed his coat off of the hook near the door and headed outside.

Spencer removed the pieces of French toast from the pan she was using and placed them on a plate before checking on the bacon. Spencer then scrambled a few eggs. Once the food was done, Spencer headed upstairs to get dressed.

"Spencer, honey, are you cooking something?" Veronica asked, meeting her daughter in the hallway.

"I made French toast, eggs and bacon. I invited Emily over for breakfast before she starts work. I made a lot. Do you want to eat with us?"

"Oh, no, I don't want to intrude. I need to get going to work shortly, anyway."

"Okay. Well, I just need to go get dressed."

Spencer then walked into her own bedroom as Veronica headed downstairs. As she walked into the living room, Veronica heard a knock at the front door. She walked over to the door and opened it to find Emily standing on the other side.

"Good morning, Emily."

"Good morning, Missus Hastings. How are you today?"

"Just fine, thanks. Come on in."

"I know I'm a little early..." Emily said, following Veronica into the house.

"Spencer said she invited you for breakfast."

"She did, but if you'd rather me just go get started working I can do that..."

"Emily, honey, it's fine." Veronica said sincerely. "Why don't you come sit in the kitchen. Spencer will be down in a minute."

"Okay." Emily said, following Veronica into the kitchen.

"Can I get you a cup of coffee?" Veronica asked.

"I'd love some coffee. Thank you." Emily said, sitting down on one of the stools at the kitchen island.

Veronica reached up and took three mugs off of the shelf of the cabinet. She filled two of the mugs, leaving the third on the counter, waiting for Spencer.

"Do you take cream or sugar in your coffee?" Veronica asked.

"Just a little of both, please."

Once Veronica had added cream and sugar to the coffee, she set one of the mugs down in front of Emily.

"Thank you." Emily said, looking up at Veronica.

"You're welcome." Veronica sat down next to Emily.

"Missus Hastings, I'm not really exactly sure what to say in this type of a situation, but I want you to know that I really appreciate you being so accepting of Spencer and I, it means a lot to both of us. I hated lying about our relationship, but..."

"It's all right. I understand why you didn't tell me or my husband. It's a bit of an awkward situation, but I'm not angry with you."

"Thank you. Normally, I'd never even dream of becoming involved with a client's daughter, but everything just sort of happened between Spencer and I. I've had a rough couple of years relationship-wise, then I met Spencer and she just genuinely seemed to care about me. It was nice to have that feeling again."

"I have to admit, I was very surprised when Spencer told me that the two of you had been seeing each other, but as long as you treat her well, you won't hear much of a fuss from me. I can't speak for my husband and at this point I'm not sure how he'll react, but I want you to know that I'll do what ever I can to support you and my daughter. Just from talking to Spencer last night, it's obvious that you make her happy and that's what's important to me."

"Thank you. Spencer means so much to me, I wouldn't risk doing anything to mess that up."

"I'm glad to hear that...are you looking forward to Spencer's hockey game on Friday?"

"Yes. I can't wait to watch her. She's an amazing player and I love hockey."

"Good, maybe you can explain to me how the whole game works. I don't really know much about sports." Veronica said, raising her coffee cup to her lips.

"You're coming to the game too?"

"Yes. Spencer didn't tell you?"

"No. She must have forgotten to mention it...will Mister Hastings also be there? Should I not go?"

"You should be there." Veronica said, placing her hand on Emily's shoulder. "I know Spencer would want you to be. Don't worry about my husband, he'll be in New York on a business trip all weekend."

A moment later, Spencer came downstairs and walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, Em." Spencer said, walking over to her girlfriend and wrapping her arms around Emily's shoulders.

"Morning." Emily smiled, looking up at Spencer.

"I hope you're hungry, I made French toast."

"That sounds great. French toast is my favorite."

"I think I'll just leave you two alone." Veronica said, standing up.

"Are you sure you don't want to eat with us?" Spencer asked.

"No, thanks. I should really get going to work."

Veronica picked up her bag from the couch and headed toward the door.

"Have a good day, girls." Veronica said, just before disappearing out the door.

"So, what were you talking to my mom about?" Spencer asked, placing a few slices of French toast, some eggs and few strips of bacon on a plate.

"Oh, not too much. I actually just got here a few minutes ago."

Spencer spread some butter on the French toast and covered golden-brown bread in syrup, before sliding the plate over to Emily.

"Thank you...so why didn't you tell me that your mom was coming to your hockey game?"

"I forgot. She just told me last night. Is something wrong?"

"No, I'm just a little nervous to spend pretty much the whole evening alone with my girlfriend's mom. Before, I was just the architect, I'd show up, work all day and go home. But, things will be different from now on."

"You're right, things will be different." Spencer said, taking Emily's hand. "They'll be better. My mom's one less person we have to hide from. And one more person on our side."

"I guess you're right. It's just, what do we even talk about? It was easy when all of our conversations involved counter top samples, blueprints and bathroom fixtures..."

"Talk about anything you want. Don't put so much pressure on yourself. Just relax. You're good at interacting with people. You're a total sweetheart. I know my mom will love you."

"I hope so...what does your mom like? Just give me some conversation topics..."

"Em, seriously, you're over thinking things. Please don't drive yourself crazy over this. You can't plan out every little thing to say."

"I know..." Emily sighed. "But, I'm still nervous."

"Don't be. As adorable as you are being all nervous, I know you'll be fine. But...you know, if all else fails, you can always just talk about me." Spencer stepped behind Emily and slipped her hands down over the architect's chest as she bent down and kissed her cheek.

"That's true. You are my favorite topic of conversation, after all." Emily smiled. "Oh and thank you for making me breakfast."

"You're welcome."

Emily then leaned over and placed a kiss on Spencer's lips.

"You taste like syrup." Spencer smiled.

"Is that a good thing?" Emily asked.

"Definitely...so do you feel better, now?" Spencer placed her hand on top of Emily's

"Yeah, actually I do."

"Good."

Spencer pulled a stool out and sat down next to her girlfriend.

"You know, I can't even begin to tell you how relieved I am that your mom's okay with us."

"Me too. One parent down, one to go…"

"Yeah, just as soon as I finish the addition, we can officially come out...won't be that much longer."

"What are you going to be working on today?"

"I'm planning on finishing the plumbing in the new bathroom, then I'm probably going to lay down the new flooring. You going to be home before I leave?"

"I have a late hockey practice tonight, so probably not."

"Do you want to come over after your practice? I just have to finish my drawings for the strip mall, but I'll probably have that done before your practice is over."

"I'd love to come over tonight."

"Cool." Emily leaned over and kissed Spencer.

When the kiss was broken, Spencer noticed a smile creeping across Emily's lips.

"What are you smiling about?" Spencer asked.

"I just still can't believe that someone like me actually managed to get a girl like you. Never did I ever think I'd be good enough for someone like you. Usually, when I work for clients like your parents, their daughters take one look at me and assume I'm there to clean the pool. But, not you, you actually took the time to get to know me."

"Of course I did. The minute I met you, I just had a feeling that you were someone I wanted to know better. Besides, it's not every day a gorgeous architect shows up at your house fully prepared to perform manual labor. Although come to think of it, I didn't even know you were the architect the day we met."

"Nope, you found out the next day. I remember because after I told you I was an architect you proceeded to grill me about my age, education and credentials." Emily laughed.

"I was just curious." Spencer laughed.

"Well, I'm definitely glad your curiosity got the best of you that afternoon."

"So am I."


	33. Chapter 33

The next morning, Veronica and Melissa were sitting in the kitchen having their morning coffee together before work.

"So...how long had you known that Spencer and Emily were seeing each other?" Veronica asked.

"I've known for a awhile."

"Did Spencer talk to you about Emily?"

"Only after I caught them kissing on the front porch one night. I confronted Spencer after Emily left and she pretty much had to tell me everything. You didn't freak out when Spencer told you, did you?"

"Not at all. I'm glad Spencer came out to me. It must have been so hard for her trying to hide who she really is. I feel so guilty for trying to push her to date all those boys from the club."

"It's not your fault though. You didn't know any better."

"I know, but it doesn't make me feel any less guilty."

"How do you feel about Spencer and Emily as a couple?"

"I wish Emily was a little closer to Spencer's age, but there's nothing we can do about that. Emily's a sweet kid and a hard worker, I can't fault Spencer for being attracted to her."

"Yeah. You haven't said anything to dad, have you?"

"Not a word and I'm not going to. If Spencer needs my help telling him, I'll certainly be there to support her, but I think it's important that she does it when she's ready."

"So do I. That's why I didn't say anything to you guys. Have you gotten to talk to Emily since you found out about them?"

"I talked to her for a few minutes yesterday morning, but she'll be at Spencer's hockey game on Friday, so I'm hoping we'll get to talk more."

"Maybe I'll tag along too. Wren's scheduled for the evening shift at the hospital and I know I really don't have the chance to make it to many of Spencer's school functions. You always forced her to come to mine."

"I think it'd be very nice if you came to support your sister. I'm so glad you and Spencer have been getting along."

* * *

Friday morning.

"Morning, honey." Veronica said, noticing Spencer walking into the kitchen as she packed a few file folders into her bag.

"Hi, mom. Are you still coming to my game tonight?"

"I'll be there. Is Emily still coming?"

"Yeah. She said she'd work through lunch so she could finish early enough to get to the school on time."

"Good. Your sister will be there too."

"Melissa's coming? Just remember you promised you wouldn't embarrass me in front of Emily."

"Your sister and I won't embarrass you."

"Okay. Just please be nice, Emily's a little nervous about tonight."

"Emily doesn't have anything to be nervous about."

"I know. I've tried telling her that, but it doesn't do any good...anyway, I really have to get to school. I'll see you tonight."

Spencer then picked up her backpack and rushed out the door. She got into her car and began to back out of the driveway, where she noticed Emily's truck pulling up in her rearview mirror. Emily parked her truck in the driveway and stepped out. She walked over to Spencer's Mercedes as Spencer put the window down.

"In a hurry?" Emily asked as she leaned down to Spencer's window.

"Kind of. I have a student council breakfast meeting before school."

"Can I at least get a kiss before you run me over?" Emily laughed.

"Sure." Spencer smiled. "But...first I'm glad you're here, I have something for you."

"Something for me?" Emily stepped back from the door of the car so that Spencer could get out.

Spencer then walked around to the back of her car and opened the hatch. She retrieved a white plastic bag and pulled out a navy blue Rosewood High Sharks t shirt.

"This is for you." Spencer said, handing Emily the shirt. "I forgot to give it to you yesterday. I would have just given you one of mine, but I figured you'd probably be more comfortable in something that actually fits you. Will you wear it to the game tonight?"

"You bet. Thank you."

"You can be an honorary Rosewood High Shark." Spencer reached down and took Emily's hand.

"I'd love to be a shark, especially if it means showing my support for the most beautiful hockey player I know."

Spencer smiled, placed her free hand behind Emily's neck and pulled her down for a kiss. Emily placed her hand on the small of Spencer's back and pulled her closer. Emily opened her mouth a little, deepening the kiss.

"I see you have enough time to kiss your girlfriend goodbye, but not your own mother." Veronica laughed, as she walked over to Spencer's car.

Emily blushed as she and Spencer separated, though Spencer was still holding onto Emily's hand.

"Morning Missus Hastings." Emily said, staring down at her boots, finding herself unable to look at Veronica. "I'm sorry..." Emily's tan skin was now a visible shade of red across her cheeks.

"Good morning." Veronica placed her index and middle fingers underneath Emily's chin and lifted her head until their eyes met. "And you don't have anything to apologize for...I'll see you later this evening."

"I'm looking forward to it." Emily smiled softly.

"So am I. Have a good day, girls." Veronica said before walking over to her own car and getting in.

"My mom totally loves you." Spencer said. "But, you're just way too cute when you're all shy around her."

"I just want her to like me and I don't think catching us making out will help my case at all. I don't want your mom to think I'm only interested in getting in your pants."

"She doesn't think that at all. Besides, we were hardly making out, just now. You didn't even slip me the tongue." Spencer laughed.

Emily only smiled slightly.

"Aw, come on, Em. Please don't put so much pressure on yourself. Just relax. Be yourself...Melissa's coming to my game too, so you can always talk her. I'll text her later and ask her to help you out if you happen to get a little stuck for conversation with my mom."

"Okay. That makes me feel a little better. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Spencer wrapped her arms around Emily and hugged her. "Now, I really have to get going. I'm gonna be late."

"Okay." Emily opened Spencer's car door for her.

"I'll see you later." Spencer leaned in and kissed Emily before getting into her car.

* * *

"Sorry, we can't make it to your game tonight, Spence." Aria said, as she, Spencer and Hanna walked down the hall together.

"It's okay. I understand you guys have other stuff going on. Besides, I'll have Emily there."

"Emily's going to your game? That's so adorable." Hanna said.

"You want to talk about adorable, you should see her around my mom. She's so shy and soft-spoken. She's totally nervous about spending time with my mom. She asked me what kinds of things my mom likes so she could come up with some conversation topics. She's freaking out."

"Aw. Poor Emily. She just wants to impress your family." Hanna said. "She's sweet."

"Yeah and she obviously loves you a lot if she cares so much about making a good impression." Aria said. "At least your mom is okay with you guys being together."

"I know. I wish I would have told her sooner."

* * *

Later that evening.

Emily looked down at her watch, realizing that it was a little after five thirty.

"Okay, let's call it a day, guys." Emily said.

Emily then began packing up her tools.

"You wanna come out for a few beers with us, Em?" Mike asked.

"I can't. I'm going to Spencer's field hockey game tonight."

"Field hockey? Hot high school girls in short shorts chasing a ball around with a stick. Count me in." Mike said. "Sure beats happy hour."

"Sorry, dude, but you can't come with me this time. Spencer's mom and sister are going to be there. Spencer's kind of counting on this being a bonding experience between me and her family. I feel like it'd be a little hard for us to bond with you sitting there giving a play by play of which girls you would or wouldn't hook up with."

Ben and Chris both laughed.

"Yeah, that definitely sounds like something he'd do." Chris said.

"Good luck, Em." Ben said. "I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Thanks. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

Emily then picked up her tool box and headed out to her truck. After placing her tools into the back of the truck, Emily opened the driver's side door and took the t shirt that Spencer had given her off of the seat. Emily pulled the t shirt she was currently wearing up over her head and tossed it onto the passenger seat. She slipped on the new shirt and got into her truck. Emily flipped her visor down and looked into the mirror at her own reflection. Emily pulled her hair out of the ponytail it was in, she ran her fingers though her hair a few times before pulling it back into a ponytail once again.

"Well…here goes nothing." Emily took a deep breath, started her engine and pulled out of the Hastings' driveway.


	34. Chapter 34

Hey everyone! To respond to a few reviews, yes Spencer and Emily will have sex soon. Believe me, I want to write the scene as much as you guys want to read it, so please try to be patient with me. It'll be sometime after Peter finds out about the relationship, which I think will probably be happening pretty soon. Hang in there! Thanks!  
-Fender18

* * *

"You ready for the game, Spence?" One of Spencer's teammates, a blonde girl, asked as she approached Spencer in the locker room.

"Definitely. We owe the Wildcats a good ass-kicking after what they did to us in the last game." Spencer said as she finished tying her shoe.

"I know. I still can't believe we lost that one."

"Me either. We have to win tonight, especially because my mom, my sister and my girlfriend are all coming to the game."

"You have a girlfriend?"

"Yep."

"Why didn't you tell any of us?"

"I hardly told anyone. My parents didn't know that I was gay, so we kinda kept everything on the down low. My dad still doesn't know, but my mom does now."

"Well, who's your girlfriend? Does she go to Rosewood?"

"No. She's already graduated college. Her name's Emily. She's twenty three and she's an architect."

"Wow, you like them a little bit older, huh?"

"I guess I do." Spencer smiled.

"So...what's Emily look like? Is she cute?"

"She's totally gorgeous. She's six foot one with a really muscular build. She's like ridiculously toned all over. And she's tan, has black hair, dark eyes and the most adorable smile."

"Sounds sexy. You'll have to point her out. Now, what do you say we go warm up?"

"Let's go." Spencer grabbed her hockey stick and shut her locker door.

* * *

When Emily arrived at the school, she pulled into the parking lot to find that Veronica and Melissa were sitting in Veronica's car. Emily parked her truck next to Veronica's BMW and stepped out. Veronica and Melissa then got out of the car.

"Hi, Melissa. Hi, Missus Hastings."

"Hi, Emily." Melissa said.

"I see you're showing your shark spirit tonight." Veronica said, looking at Emily's t shirt.

"Oh, yeah. Spencer gave me the shirt this morning."

"Good...we should probably go find a seat before it gets too crowded."

Emily, Melissa and Veronica walked over to the bleachers on the side of the field. Emily motioned for Veronica to go first, which she did.

Emily then turned to Melissa.

"After you." Emily said.

"That's sweet, but I think you should really sit in the middle."

"Um, okay..." Emily swallowed audibly. "If you think so..."

Melissa noticed a worried expression cross Emily's face before she turned around.

"You'll be fine." Melissa placed her hands on Emily's shoulders from behind and gently nudged her forward.

Emily then followed Veronica up to the top row of bleachers and sat down. Emily, Melissa and Veronica looked for Spencer on the field. They spotted her near one of the goals, taking a few practice shots. After a few minutes, Spencer's team headed over to their bench as the opposing team took the field for a few minutes of practice.

"Is she here?" The blonde girl Spencer had been talking to in the locker room asked.

Spencer looked up toward the bleachers and scanned the crowd.

"Yep. Top row, near the middle." Spencer smiled and waved to Emily, who smiled waved back.

"She's super cute." Spencer's teammate said.

"Told you."

Emily sat rigidly in between Melissa and Veronica, hoping that the game would start soon.

"You know, I'm embarrassed to admit that I really don't know very much about you, Emily." Veronica said, turning toward the architect.

"It's okay. I'm not all that interesting."

"Spencer seems to think that you are. Now, I think I remember your résumé saying you graduated from college in Texas. Texas A and M, was it?"

"Close, it was Texas Tech."

"Oh, that's right. I remember my husband saying something about Texas Tech football when he saw that's where you went to school."

"My dad's a pretty big Red Raiders fan." Melissa said.

"Oh, really?" Emily said with a surprised tone.

"He loves college football." Melissa nodded.

"Did you play any sports?" Veronica asked, watching as the hockey game began on the field. "You look pretty athletic."

"Thank you. I was a competitive swimmer. I swam for Texas Tech on a scholarship. We went to the NCAA championships all four years I was in college and we finally took home a title my senior year."

"Sounds like you've been very busy."

"Yeah. I never had much free time during college. I was always in class or swimming or working."

"So...did you grow up in Texas?" Melissa glanced over at Emily.

"No, the time I was in college was the most I've ever lived in any one place. I was an Army brat. My dad's a Lieutenant Colonel so we were always having to move around to different Army bases when I was a kid."

"Your parents still live in Texas now, don't they?" Melissa asked. "I think I remember Spencer mentioning it before."

"They do. My dad works at the Fort Hood Army Base. He trains and supervises new recruits."

"What brought you all the way to Pennsylvania?" Veronica asked.

"A lot of things. Work mostly. I had a few referrals to clients in the Philadelphia area, so I thought why not move? You know, make a fresh start and try to make a name for myself. I felt like I needed a change of scenery anyway. I do miss my parents though."

"I'm sure they miss you too." Veronica said. "Do you get to talk to them often?"

"We keep in touch. I usually try to call my mom on Sundays after I get home from church."

"You go to church." Melissa's sentence came out as more of a question that a statement.

"I do. Every Sunday. Well, sometimes I'll go on Saturday evening if I know I'm going to be busy on Sunday. I promised my mom that I wouldn't stop going to church when I moved and I haven't."

Emily stared across the field as she watched Spencer gain control of the ball and take it down the field.

"I can't believe how fast Spencer is." Emily shook her head.

"No one can even keep up with her." Melissa added. "I guess that's why she's the captain."

"Is this the first of Spencer's hockey games you've been to?" Melissa asked.

"No, I made it to half of one before we started dating. She was a little bit upset about her dad having to miss the game, so I took a late lunch break and stopped by."

"That's very sweet of you." Veronica said. "No wonder Spencer likes you so much."

"We started seeing each other a couple of weeks later, but I haven't had a chance to get to any other games since then."

"So...where'd you guys go on your first date, anyway?" Melissa's eyes followed Spencer across the field as she shot the ball and scored the first goal of the game.

"Our official first date I took her to that Italian place in downtown Philadelphia. The one on Spruce street."

"Vetri." Melissa said. "I love that place. I've been trying to get Wren to take me there on a date for months."

"Maybe the four of you could go on a double date there sometime." Veronica chimed in.

"Sure. I think it'd be fun." Emily said.

"So…do have a lot of other jobs lined up after you finish our house?" Veronica glanced over at Emily.

"I just finished my design for the new strip mall that'll be built in Philadelphia this spring and I've got a few other smaller jobs lined up."

"Do you know what stores are going into the strip mall?" Melissa asked.

"I honestly have no idea. I only designed the building and sent the blueprints to the contractor. I don't know much beyond that. I'm not even working construction on it, but I'll let you know if I do hear anything."

"I have to say, I think it's so impressive how you can just look at a blue print and know exactly what to do to make the plans into a building." Veronica said.

"I guess we all have to be good at something." Emily smiled.

"Were you always naturally good at building things?" Veronica asked. "Or did you have to learn it?"

"It came pretty easy to me. My dad served three tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, he was away a lot and it was just me and my mom, so I kind of picked up on how to fix things around the house. I wanted to help. I knew having my dad away was so tough on my mom, I wanted to make things a little easier for her."

Emily looked up at the field just in time to see Rosewood score another goal.

"Two nothing already." Emily said. "Rosewood's really moving things along."

"What exactly is Spencer's position?" Veronica asked.

"She's the center midfielder, which is considered one of if not the most important position on the field." Emily said. "She's responsible for playing both defense and offense. She can go almost anywhere on the field. The midfielders are the players responsible for scoring the goals."

The crowd cheered as Spencer stole the ball from the opposing team and swiftly passed it to an open teammate on the other side of the field.

* * *

When the game had ended, Veronica, Melissa and Emily made their way down to the Sharks' bench to see Spencer.

"Hey, great game, Spence." Emily said. "You really knocked 'em dead out there."

"Thanks." Spencer leaned in and wrapped her arms tightly around Emily.

Emily took her hands out of the pockets of her jeans and returned the embrace.

"You were amazing out there, honey." Veronica placed her hand on Spencer's shoulder. "The other team never even had a chance. We should go celebrate your win. Are you hungry? We can go out for dinner."

"I'm starving." Spencer said. "Can we go over to The Grille?"

"Of course. Emily, honey, would you like to join us for dinner?" Veronica turned toward the architect.

"Please say yes." Spencer said, linking her arms around Emily's elbow and staring up at her.

"Sure. I'd love to come."

"Just let me take a quick shower and change clothes. I'll be right back."

Spencer reached up and kissed Emily's cheek before disappearing across the field to the gym.

* * *

When they got to the restaurant, Spencer reached down and took Emily's hand as they walked toward the front door. Emily opened the door and waited for Melissa and Veronica to walk in first.

"You first." Emily said, looking at Spencer.

Once Emily and Spencer had both walked inside, Spencer took Emily's hand again as they were shown to a table by a young man with dark hair and glasses.

"Here are some menus, your waitress will be with you in just a minute."

"Thank you." Veronica said as she pulled out one of the chairs and sat down.

Spencer sat down beside her mother and across from Emily as the architect took the seat next to Melissa.

"What's everyone having to eat?" Veronica asked.

"I'm dying for a burger a mountain of fries." Spencer said. "And maybe a milkshake."

Veronica laughed.

"Oh how I miss those days when I was young and didn't have to worry about what I ate."

A few minutes later, a young dark-haired, light skinned woman approached the table to take everyone's drink orders.

"I can't believe how amazing you were on the field today." Emily said, looking across the table at Spencer. "Scoring four goals is definitely something to be proud of."

"Thanks, Em. I'm so glad you got to see us win. We've been struggling a little bit lately."

"Apparently not today." Emily said.

"So…do you two have any plans for tomorrow?" Veronica asked, looking over at Spencer.  
"Not yet." Spencer said. "Maybe we could go to a movie or something."

"Sure. We can go to a movie after I get done working."

"You know, why don't you just go ahead and take tomorrow off, Emily?" Veronica said.

"Really?"

"Of course. You've been working so hard lately, I think you've earned a weekend off."

"Thank you very much, Missus Hastings, but are you sure Mister Hastings wouldn't mind?"

"He won't be back in town until Sunday night, he'll never know the difference."

"Thank you. That's so nice of you."

"Oh, Spencer, before I forget, next weekend you have a fitting for your bridesmaid dress." Melissa said. "It's Saturday at noon."

"Okay. I'll be there."

"You're coming to the wedding, aren't you, Emily?" Melissa asked.

"Uh, sure…if you want me to."

"Of course you're coming." Spencer said. "I need a date."

"Then I'll be there."

Spencer smiled, reached her foot out underneath the table and gently rubbed it up and down Emily's leg.

* * *

Later that evening, when the waitress brought the check over to the table Veronica picked up her purse and fished out her wallet.

"I'll get this." Emily said, picking up the bill.

"You don't have to do that." Veronica said. "We invited you."

"I want to." Emily said. "The last time I was here I tried to buy Spencer dinner and your husband swooped in and managed to ace me out of that."

"If you're sure…"

"I'm positive. It would be my pleasure." Emily pulled her wallet from her pocket and pulled out some money.

"Thank you, sweetheart." Veronica smiled warmly at the architect.

"You're welcome."

"If you don't mind, I'm just going to go use the restroom before we leave." Veronica stood up.

"Me too." Melissa said. "We'll be right back."

As Melissa walked past Spencer she leaned down to her sister's ear.

"FYI it's me you've been playing footsie with all night." Melissa said.

"God." Spencer blushed. "I thought that was Emily."

"Obviously." Melissa chuckled before following her mother across the restaurant.

"How did everything go at the game?" Spencer asked. "What did you guys talk about?"

"A little bit of everything. Sports, you and your mom asked me about myself. Everything went much better than I expected." Emily said. "I think I passed the mom interview."

"Aw, Em. I'm so glad." Spencer reached across the table and took Emily's hand. "I told you, you'd be fine. You're such a sweetheart."

"Only for you, Spence."


	35. Chapter 35

Early the next morning, Emily woke up and glanced over at the clock, next to her bed. It was six forty five am. She rolled over onto her back and stretched her arms above her head. Emily spent the next few minutes thinking about the night before. She was very thankful that everything seemed to have gone well and that Veronica seemed to like her.

Since Emily was already awake and Veronica had given her the day off, she decided to go out for an early morning run. Emily got out of bed and put on a pair of running shorts, she then slipped on a black tank top over the sports bra she had worn to bed. Emily walked over to her closet and pulled out a pair of bright, multicolored Nike running shoes. She sat down on the bed, slipped her shoes on and tied them tightly. Emily then grabbed her phone as well as a pair of headphones before heading out the door.

For the next hour, Emily jogged at a leisurely pace, circling around Rosewood, before eventually ending up back at her apartment. Emily took a moment to catch her breath as she fished her house key out of her pocket. Emily unlocked her door and walked inside. She opened the refrigerator, where she pulled out a bottle of water. A moment later, she heard a knock at her door. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and walked through the living room. Emily opened the door to find her next door neighbor, a petite, attractive young brunette standing on the other side in a pair of shorts and a thin, spaghetti strap tank top.

"Hey, Gwen. What's up?" Emily asked.

"Hey, I really hate to bother you, but do you happen to have any coffee? My coffee maker just died and I'm in serious need of some caffeine before work."

"Sure. Come on in."

"Thank you so much." Gwen said, following Emily into the apartment.

"Why don't you go ahead and sit down?"

Emily then walked into the kitchen where she put some coffee on. After about five minutes, Emily filled two mugs with hot coffee, a splash of creamer and a little sugar. Emily walked into the living room and handed one of the mugs to Gwen before sitting down beside her on the couch.

"So...how have you been?" Emily asked. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"I've been pretty good. How about you?"

"Not bad. I've been keeping busy with work and everything."

"That's good...you just get back from a run, huh?"

"Yeah. I have the day off work, so I went out for about an hour. Jogged around town. Took the scenic route."

"Out by the park?"

"Yep."

"I think I saw you out that way one day last week. Do you ever go to our apartment complex's gym?"

"Yeah. I try to go at least a couple of times a week, if I can."

"I want to start going to the gym again, but I really hate going alone."

"I don't blame you. A lot of creeps go to our gym. You're more than welcome to join me sometime, if you want."

"That'd be great, actually."

"Cool. I usually go in the evenings. Just call or text me some night, I'll let you know if I'm free."

"Sounds great. Thanks, Em."

"No problem. No douchebag guys will bother you if I'm with you. They tend to avoid me."

"Why's that?"

"Because I can lift more than most of them." Emily said, raising her coffee mug to her lips.

"I'm not surprised." Gwen laughed. "Look at you. I'd kill for arms like that."

"Thanks." Emily smiled.

A moment later, Emily's door opened and Spencer quietly walked in, carrying two paper coffee cups and a white paper bag, with her back toward Emily and Gwen.

"Hey, Em. You awake?" Spencer called out as she closed the door and turned around to see Emily sitting on the couch next to a girl she didn't recognize. "Oh...I didn't realize you had company over." There was a slight hint of irritation in Spencer's voice.

"Hey, Spence." Emily said.

"You got a roommate?" Gwen asked.

"Oh, no. She's my girlfriend. Spencer, this is my neighbor, Gwen...Gwen, Spencer."

"So you finally have a girlfriend?" Gwen smiled at Emily, before focusing her attention on Spencer. "Hi."

"Hello." Spencer said, shortly.

"So, what's up, Spence?" Emily asked.

"I thought I'd surprise you with breakfast since you have the day off...but I guess..."

"Listen, Em, thanks a lot for the coffee, I should really be getting ready for work." Gwen stood up, sensing that Spencer wanted to be alone with Emily.

"Okay."

"I'll give you a call, maybe sometime next week, see about hitting the gym."

"Sure. Just let me know. See ya, later."

"Bye. Nice meeting you, Spencer."

"You too." Spencer said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice as she set the coffee cups and bag that she was holding down on the table.

Spencer watched as Gwen walked over to the door and let herself out.

"Why are you going to the gym with her?" Spencer asked, defensively.

"She wants a work out buddy. That's all." Emily set her coffee mug down on the table.

"A work out buddy or a fuck buddy? She wants in your pants. I don't like it."

"I guarantee she's not into me at all. She's one hundred percent straight."

"Or so she says. What if you guys go to the gym together and she sees you like all hot and sweaty and wants to switch teams? What if she tries to make a move on you?"

"That's not going to happen."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Spence. It won't happen, okay? I know it won't because I tried to hook up with her when she first moved in and she turned me down. You don't have anything to worry about."

"She turned you down?" Spencer smirked, slightly.

"Yep. Shot me down hard, on three separate occasions. But, one of those times I was drunk…so I'm not sure if that counts…"

"You were into her enough that you tried to get with her three times?"

"She was the first girl I tried to hook up with after Stephanie broke up with me. I wasn't really looking for anything long term, I was just horny and kind of wanting a rebound...but nothing ever happened. Besides, she even gave me the whole 'you're really sweet, but I think we're better off as just friends speech,' which we all know is just code for 'you don't have a chance.'"

"Aw." Spencer laughed.

"You think rejection's funny?" Emily laughed as she reached up, grabbed Spencer's hand and pulled her down onto the couch.

"Only because it means I don't have to feel threatened by the cute girl next door."

"Spence. You never have to feel threatened. I love you. Simple as that." Emily pulled Spencer tightly against her chest, wrapping her arms around the brunette's body and kissing the side of her girlfriend's head.

Spencer leaned back and looked up at Emily. Spencer smiled and placed a hand behind Emily's neck as she pulled her down for a kiss.

"Why are you all sweaty, anyway?" Spencer asked when the kiss was broken.

"I went out for an early morning run."

"Well, I hope you worked up an appetite. You hungry?"

"Definitely. What did you bring?"

"Raspberry scones."

"Really?"

"Yep. Do you remember the morning you brought me raspberry scones for breakfast?"

"Of course I do. You know, by that time, I think I knew I liked you, but I was way too afraid to admit it to myself."

"Well...that morning I really wanted to kiss you in my living room, I kept trying to work up the nerve, but then your crew came in and ruined the mood."

"They have a tendency to be kind of loud and obnoxious sometimes." Emily laughed.

Spencer reached out and picked up the bag on the table. She pulled out one of the scones and handed it to Emily. Spencer also picked up one of the cups of coffee she brought and gave it to Emily.

"Thank you. So...what did you want to do today? We've got the whole day free."

"I was hoping maybe we could drive down to Philadelphia and spend the day together in the city."

"Sounds good to me. As soon as I'm done with my coffee, I'll shower and we can go."

"Okay." Spencer pulled a scone out of the bag for herself and leaned back, lying her head on Emily's chest.

* * *

Early that afternoon, Emily and Spencer arrived in downtown Philadelphia.

"So...what should we do?" Emily asked.

"I'm kind of getting hungry again. That scone wasn't enough. You want to have lunch in Love Park?

"Sure. Just let me see if I can find a parking spot near the plaza."

Once Emily parked the car, she and Spencer made a short walk down the street to Love Park.

"You want a cheese steak or something?" Emily asked.

"Yeah. There are a couple of food carts over there." Spencer pointed across the plaza.

"Cool. Let's go."

When they got to the front of the line, Emily ordered two cheese steaks, French fries and two bottles of water. She and Spencer then sat down on a bench near the fountain in the middle of the plaza.

"Have you ever been to Love Park before?" Spencer asked.

"Yeah. When I was working downtown, sometimes I'd come eat lunch here."

"This is so nice." Spencer said, lifting a French fry up to Emily's mouth. "Just the two of us, getting to spend the day together, like this."

"I know." Emily said in between chewing. "Spending a gorgeous Saturday afternoon with a beautiful girl. I couldn't possibly ask for anything more." Emily leaned over and kissed Spencer on the forehead.

As they ate, Emily and Spencer watched people make their way through the park. They saw a few tourists taking photos, some business people just stopping off for a quick lunch and even a few kids on skateboards, although skateboarding wasn't allowed in the park, but no one seemed to mind as they weren't bothering anyone.

"So...I'm not sure of this is childish or not...let me know if it is...but would you want to go to the zoo?" Spencer asked.

"I'd love to take you to the zoo. I don't think it's childish at all. I love animals. I've never been to the Philadelphia Zoo though, where is it?"

"It's only about fifteen minutes from here. On Girard avenue."

"Oh, okay. I know where that is."

When they had finished eating, Emily and Spencer picked up their trash and walked it over to a near by trash can.

"You ready?" Emily asked, holding her hand out to Spencer.

"Hold on a second...before we go, let's get someone to take our picture in front of the love sculpture." Spencer said, pulling her phone from her pocket.

Spencer took Emily's hand and pulled her over near the statue. Spencer spotted a younger man walking across the park with a woman who had a camera in her hand and was snapping photos of the park. Spencer assumed that they were tourists.

"Excuse me." Spencer said, approaching the couple. "Would you mind taking a photo of my girlfriend and I for us?"

"Not at all." The woman said, taking Spencer's phone.

Spencer and Emily walked over to the fountain and stood in front of the famous love sculpture. Emily placed her left arm around Spencer's waist. Spencer wrapped both of her arms around Emily's midsection and looked over at the camera.

"You two are so sweet together." The woman said as she snapped a photo. "How about one more?"

Spencer turned Emily's body so that they were both now facing each other. Spencer stood up on her toes to gain a little more height as she reached up to kiss Emily. Once the second photo was taken, Spencer thanked the man and the woman for their time and took her phone back. Spencer looked at the photos and smiled. She then began tapping on the screen.

"What are you doing?" Emily asked.

"Sending these pictures to my friends."

Upon sending the photos, Spencer received almost an immediate reply from Hanna.

Omg! You guys are so cute I can't even stand it! As soon as you come out to your dad and you can be Facebook official, you have to use one of those as your profile pic. So adorable. :D

Spencer quickly typed a reply and focused her attention back to Emily.

"Okay. Let's go." Spencer said as she reached down and laced her fingers with Emily's.

As they walked across the park, Emily and Spencer noticed a homeless man sitting on the ground near a bench, they were passing by. He had a long, gray, scraggly beard and held a cardboard sign that read: homeless vet please help.

Emily reached into her pocket and pulled out her last ten dollar bill. Without saying a word, she dropped it into the paper cup in the man's right hand.

"Thank you." The man looked up at Emily with a look of honest appreciation, obviously shocked by a person's kindness.

Emily just gave the man a small smile as she and Spencer continued walking.

"God bless you." The man said.

"So...the zoo takes debit cards, right? I'm out of cash." Emily said.

"God, Em. You honestly have the biggest heart out of anyone I've ever met in my whole life."

"I'll always have a soft spot for military veterans. Besides, he needs that ten bucks a hell of a lot more than I do."

"Just when I think you can't possibly be any more amazing, you always surprise me."

* * *

"Did you know that the Philadelphia Zoo was the first zoo in the U.S.?" Spencer asked, glancing over at Emily.

"Really?"

"Yep. It opened in eighteen seventy four."

"Wow. I had no idea it was that old."

"Oh look let's go over there." Spencer said pointing to her left. "That's where the giraffes are."

Spencer squeezed Emily's hand and drug her across the walkway to a savanna-like setting where four giraffes were leisurely eating the leaves off of a tall tree.

"I love giraffes." Spencer said. "They're my favorite. They're so interesting."

"They're beautiful animals. I love their spots."

"Me too. Each one has it's own unique coat pattern. And you know what's really weird about them?"

"What's that?"

"Giraffes have the same number of neck vertebrae that humans do. Seven."

"Really?"

"Uh huh. But theirs are obviously a lot bigger and they aren't connected to each other the way ours are, so they're a lot more flexible."

"That's so cool. I never would have guessed."

Spencer and Emily spent the next few minutes watching two baby giraffes chase each other around the enclosure.

"Let's see what animals are up next." Emily pulled a zoo map out of the back pocket of her jeans and unfolded it. "Looks like there are elephants just over there around the corner and zebras after that. So, what do you know about elephants?"

"Um…they have the longest gestation period of all mammals. Twenty two months."

"You're making that up."

"I am not." Spencer laughed. "It's true. I'll prove it to you."

Spencer pulled her phone out of her pocket and typed a Google search.

"See. I told you." Spencer said, showing Emily the phone. "Twenty two months."

"Holy crap. And humans complain about being pregnant for nine months." Emily laughed. "Imagine being pregnant for almost two years. That sucks."

"Do you mind if I stop by the restroom before we keep going?"

"Not at all. Go ahead. There's one over there, next to that gift shop. I'll wait here."

"Okay. I'll be right back."

When Emily came out of the bathroom, she was on her way back to Spencer when she decided to stop in the gift shop. Emily noticed a display of giraffe stuffed animals over on one of the shelves across the store. She picked one up, paid for it at the front counter and exited the shop. Emily concealed it behind her back as she made her way back to where Spencer was standing.

"Hey, there you are. I thought you got lost." Spencer said.

"Nope. I stopped to get you something."

"What?"

"This is for you." Emily held the stuffed giraffe to Spencer. "One camelopardalis..." Emily said, looking at the tag and reading the giraffe's scientific species name. "For your pleasure."

"Do you have any idea how dirty that sounds?" Spencer laughed.

"I don't think I meant for it to…but it kinda did, didn't it?" Emily laughed. "Oh well…here." Emily gave the stuffed animal to Spencer.

"You're so sweet. Thank you." Spencer leaned forward to kiss Emily.

"You're welcome." Emily placed her arm around Spencer's shoulder as they continued walking to the next exhibit.

* * *

Later that afternoon, as Spencer and Emily neared the end of their zoo tour, they came up on the petting zoo section, where some different farm animals were out walking about the area. As they passed by, a black and white, fluffy lamb walked over to Emily and began rubbing its head on her leg.

"Aw. It likes you." Spencer said.

"Would you like to feed her?" One of the animal care takers, a tall, thin man with a thick beard asked as he walked over to Spencer and Emily.

"Sure." Emily said.

"Here." The man handed Emily a purple, plastic baby bottle filled with a milk-like formula.

Emily took the bottle and knelt down on one knee as she offered the bottle to the lamb, who happily accepted it and began drinking.

"What's it's name?" Emily asked, looking up at the caretaker.

"Her name's Dolly."

"Hi, Dolly. You're hungry, aren't you?" Emily gently stroked the top of the lamb's head as it continued to drink.

Spencer was completely love-struck as she watched Emily. Spencer was certain that she had never seen anything so adorable. Spencer quickly pulled out her phone and took a few pictures as the lamb finished what was left in the bottle. Once the bottle was empty, Emily handed it back to the man.

"Come pet her, Spence." Emily said.

Spencer walked over to Emily, reached down and scratched the lamb's head.

"She's so cute." Spencer said.

The caretaker reached into his pocket and handed some corn to Emily and Spencer to feed to the lamb.

"I'll be right back." The man said. "I'm going to go get some more food."

A few moments later a little boy, probably around four or five years old ran over to see the lamb.

"Can I feed it?" The boy asked, looking up at Emily.

"Hold out your hand." Emily said.

The boy opened his hand and Emily gave him some of the corn that she was holding.

"Like dis?" The boy said, holding his hand out flat to the animal.

"Just like that." Emily said.

"It tickles." The boy giggled when he felt the lamb's mouth take the food from his palm. "What's your name?"

"Emily. What's yours?"

"Alex."

"Where's your mommy?" Emily asked.

"Over der." He pointed to a woman who was with another small child, a young girl.

"Okay." Emily said. "Alex, I like your shoes." Emily looked down at the boy's black Converse All Star sneakers, the toddler version of the sneakers, she herself was wearing.

"We match." Alex said.

"High five." Emily said, holding her open palm up.

Alex smiled and banged his tiny hand against Emily's.

"All right." Emily smiled.

"Hi. Sorry." The boy's mother said, approaching Emily and Spencer as she carried her other child. "I just can't keep up with him today. I hope he hasn't bothered you."

"Oh, not at all. We're having fun here." Emily said.

"Say goodbye to your friends, Alex." The woman said as she took her son's hand. "We have to go find your daddy."

"Bye." The boy waved at Emily and Spencer before he and his mother walked away.

"You're so good with kids." Spencer said, placing her hand on Emily's back.

"I love kids." Emily smiled as she stood up.

Once Emily and Spencer had finished visiting the remaining animals, they began to make their way back to the car.

"What time is it?" Emily asked.

"About four thirty…so you wanna go to a movie…and not watch the movie?" Spencer smirked.

"Uh…yeah. Do you really need to ask?" Emily said.


	36. Chapter 36

Later that night, when Spencer and Emily arrived back at Emily's apartment, Emily parked her car next to Spencer's. They spent a few minutes sitting in Emily's car before getting out.

"Thank you for everything today." Spencer said, closing Emily's car door behind her. "I had an amazing time."

"Me too."

Spencer wrapped her arms around Emily and hugged her tight. When they separated Emily gently brushed Spencer's hair away from her face and leaned down to kiss the brunette. Emily's hands planted themselves on Spencer's hips and Spencer draped her arms over Emily's shoulders as the architect deepened the kiss.

Once the kiss was broken, Spencer pulled back and stared lovingly up into Emily's eyes as she took the architect's hand. They spent a few long moments not speaking.

"You should get home." Emily said, softly. "It's getting late. I don't want your mom to worry."

Spencer just nodded.

"Wait, I almost forgot." Spencer opened the passenger door of Emily's car and pulled out her stuffed giraffe from the seat.

"You definitely wouldn't want to forget that little guy." Emily smiled. "Drive safely and text me as soon as you get home."

Emily opened Spencer's car door for her.

"It's only across town, Em." Spencer said.

"I know. But, it's important that I always know you're safe when you're not with me. Okay?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too." Emily leaned forward and kissed her girlfriend on the cheek. "Goodnight, Spence."

"Night." Spencer smiled and got into her car.

Emily closed the car door and watched Spencer drive away before turning and heading into her own apartment.

* * *

When Spencer arrived home, she pulled her phone from her pocket and texted Emily before getting out of the car. Spencer then walked across the driveway and up the porch steps. She opened the front door and walked into the living room, where she saw her mother sitting at the kitchen island, typing on her cell phone, with a cup of coffee near by.

"Hi, mom."

"Hi, honey." Veronica looked up. "How was your day?"

"It was great. Emily and I spent the whole day together."

"What did you do?"

"Well...first, we had lunch together in Love Park, then we went to the zoo and Emily bought me this adorable giraffe and then we went to a movie. Thank you for giving Emily the day off. We had the best time."

"You're welcome. Emily deserved a day off. I'm glad you two had a nice time."

"Thanks for being so supportive of us. It means a lot to both Emily and I."

"As long as you two are happy together, then I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, mom." Spencer walked over to her mother and hugged her.

"You want some coffee or anything, sweetheart?"

"No thanks. I think I'm just gonna head upstairs."

"Okay. Goodnight."

"Night, mom."

* * *

As Spencer slept, her mind was flooded with thoughts of Emily. It was early the next morning when Spencer's overactive mind took her to Emily's apartment, or more specifically Emily's bedroom.

"Listen, Spencer, are you sure about this?" Emily asked in a serious tone of voice. "We don't have to…"

"I'm sure." Spencer nodded. "I want to."

"Okay."

Spencer watched intently, her eyes never leaving Emily's body as the architect unbuttoned her own shirt and tossed it aside. Emily then pressed her lips to Spencer's as she gently laid the brunette down on the bed and climbed on top of her. As they kissed Emily's hands very slowly began undoing the buttons on Spencer's shirt.

"Em..." Spencer moaned into the kiss.

Spencer sat up, just enough for Emily to slid the shirt off of her shoulders and toss it away. Spencer shuddered at the feeling of Emily's hard, well-developed abdominal muscles, pressed against her skin.

Spencer suddenly became even more nervous as she felt Emily's hands slowly slide down her stomach and grasp the button of her pants. Spencer felt a sudden rush of heat flood over her cheeks, she knew that by this time her underwear would be soaked all the way through and she didn't want Emily to think that she was too anxious.

"Are you okay?" Emily asked, feeling Spencer's body tense underneath her. "Do you want me to stop?"

"No, Em. Please don't stop."

Emily smiled and made quick work of ridding the brunette of her pants. Spencer pulled Emily back down for a kiss. After a few minutes, Emily began kissing and lightly nipping at Spencer's neck as a hand made its way underneath the brunette's back. Spencer's hands slid up Emily's back, leaving random nail marks all over the area as Emily unhooked Spencer's bra and slid it off, quickly tossing it off of the bed. Spencer could see Emily's eyes wandering all over her body. Emily placed a few gentle kisses over Spencer's chest before slowly making her way down Spencer's abdomen, to the hem of her panties. Spencer silently cursed herself for not choosing a sexier pair of underwear this morning, but at the same time she knew Emily didn't care. Emily hooked her fingers into the waistband of Spencer's panties and slowly began pulling them downward. It was at that moment that Spencer's eyes snapped open. She was lying on her back clutching the stuffed giraffe Emily had given her, tightly to her chest.

"God damn it." Spencer groaned as she reached up and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

She set her giraffe on the bed next to her and closed her eyes again. Spencer replayed the dream over in her head. This wasn't the first time in recent weeks that Spencer had woken up completely unsatisfied after a dream about Emily. Over the past couple of weeks, Spencer had been finding herself thinking more and more about Emily and sex-whether she had been awake or asleep didn't matter, it seemed as though sex was a frequent subject on Spencer's mind. Of course she loved Emily, but that didn't make her any less nervous about her first time.

Spencer shifted her position on the bed as she felt a very familiar, uncomfortable throbbing sensation radiate between her legs. Spencer reached underneath her blanket and slipped her shorts off. She then slowly slid her right hand inside of her underwear. Spencer closed her eyes as she tentatively slipped two fingers into her own center and began rubbing herself in a slow circular motion, picking up speed as her arousal intensified. After a few minutes, Spencer began slightly thrusting her hips upward as she rubbed herself even harder. She was just about on the edge of climaxing when she was interrupted by the sound of the door knob turning, which served as the only warning to Melissa walking into the room a moment later.

Spencer immediately stopped moving and laid still, hoping that Melissa hadn't noticed any movement underneath the blanket. Spencer slowly slipped her hand out of her panties, rolled onto her side and pulled her blanket up over her shoulders. She yawed as if she had just woken up.

"Good, you're awake. Mom wants to know if you want to come to the club for breakfast with us. You can bring Emily if you want to."

"No thanks. I've got some homework I need to get done. Besides, I think taking Emily to the club before dad knows about us is a bad idea. There are way too many people who could accidentally blow our cover to him."

"Maybe you're right...I guess mom and I will get going then."

"Okay. I'll see you later." Melissa turned and walked out of the room.

Spencer then heard her phone chime. She reached over to the nightstand and picked up her phone to see that she had a text from Hanna.

Hey. Wanna hang out?

Sure. I've got some homework to do though, so come over later this afternoon.

Okay. See you then.

Spencer set her phone back down on her nightstand and let out a loud sigh. By now, having lost absolutely all of her previous state of arousal, Spencer decided to get up and take a shower.

* * *

Later that afternoon.

Spencer was sitting on her bed, reading something on her laptop when Hanna walked in.

"Hey, Spence."

"Oh, hey Han." Spencer said, obviously startled by Hanna's presence.

Spencer quickly shut her laptop and stood up, the movement knocking her stuffed giraffe off of the bed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Hanna said. "Your mom let me in."

Hanna walked over to the bed and picked up the giraffe.

"Where'd you get this?" Hanna asked, giving the animal back to Spencer.

"Emily got it for me. We went to the zoo yesterday."

"Aw. That's sweet."

"Yeah. We had a great time. You should have seen Emily bottle-feed this little lamb...it was adorable...hold on I have a picture."

Spencer pulled out her phone, found the picture and showed it to Hanna.

"Aw. How cute is she?"

"I know. She's amazing." Spencer smiled.

"What else did you guys do yesterday?"

"After we left the zoo, we went to a super lame movie and spent practically the whole hour and a half making out in the back row. I'm surprised we didn't get kicked out."

"Hot. Is Emily a good kisser?"

"Yeah. Really good, actually."

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me...so how did the whole quality time hockey outing between Emily and your mom go?" Hanna sat down on the bed.

"It was great. We all went to dinner after the game. Emily was, of course, sweet and charming, she was still a little nervous around my mom, though."

"But, your mom likes her and everything, right?"

"Yeah. She seems to. And Emily didn't have any complaints at all about Melissa or my mom, so I assume everything went well between them during the game."

"I don't really know how anyone couldn't like Emily. She's so nice."

"I know. My mom's been so supportive since the minute I came out to her. Even Melissa's been pretty cool. I can't believe I waited so long to tell my mom about Emily and I."

"You were trying to protect Emily. Just in case for some reason your mom wouldn't have been so chill about you and Ms. Fix it dating, but it looks like everyone's on team Spemily, you just have to get your dad on board."

"Team what?" Spencer said.

"Spemily. Spencer plus Emily equals Spemily, that's your couple nickname. Duh, Spence."

"We have a couple name." Spencer smiled.

"So...have you thought about how you're gonna tell your dad?"

"I've thought about it, but I still don't know what to say. I think I should probably just sit him down and tell him the truth, but I don't know if I should like tell him I'm gay first, let that sink in, then tell him about Emily…"

"You told your mom everything all at once, right?"

"Yeah. I came out to her and she was cool with it, then I couldn't stop myself, everything about Emily just sort of spilled out."

"I think you should tell your dad the same way. Just rip the Band-aid off. Get it over with as fast as possible and deal with everything all at once. I think it'll be easier."

"Maybe you're right. I'll have to think about it. I just don't want my dad to end up being mad at Emily. She didn't do anything wrong."

"You can always just blame your dad for hiring a hot architect. If he had hired an ugly one, nothing would have ever happened." Hanna laughed.

"I'm not sure if that'll work, but I'll keep it in mind for a defense tactic." Spencer laughed. "So...how was your date with Caleb last night?"

"Pretty good. We just went to dinner at The Grille and a movie with Noel and Aria. I'm surprised we didn't run into you guys at the theater."

"We were in Philly most of the evening. When we left the zoo, since we were already in the city we decided to just go to a movie there before heading back to Rosewood."

"Aria and I should have tagged along with you and Emily. Caleb and Noel were so embarrassing at the movies, they like took these really geeky pictures of each other with one of the Iron Man displays…like those cardboard cut out things."

"Oh my God." Spencer laughed.

"Yeah so Aria and I just went into the theater by ourselves so they had to come find us and we made them buy us extra snacks for being embarrassing. Oh and then this morning I saw Caleb changed his Facebook profile picture from one of me and him to the one Noel took of him and stupid Iron Man. Seriously, what the hell?"

"I wanna see it." Spencer laughed.

"Can I use your computer?"

"Sure." Spencer picked up her laptop and gave it to Hanna.

"I'll have to bitch at him later to change his picture back. I'm way cuter than some super hero in a metal suit."

Hanna opened the laptop and the screen came to life. Spencer then realized that she hadn't closed the webpage that she had been looking at when Hanna had walked in. Spencer quickly reached for the keyboard to close the tab, but Hanna had already seen what was on the screen. The page happened to be an article about various lesbian sexual techniques.

"Spence. You and Emily haven't done it, yet...have you?" Hanna asked, looking over at Spencer.

Spencer's face turned bright red as she put her head down.

"No. Don't you think I would have told you if we had?"

"Well...it seems like you're thinking about it."

"Yeah. I'd be lying if I said it hasn't been on my mind a lot, lately. Like this morning, I had a dream about Emily and I in bed together. I mean I used to have dreams like that a lot when I first met Emily, then they kind of tapered off, but now it's been happening again…like a lot and I always wake up just before the best part."

"Don't you hate that? Then you have to take care of "the situation." Hanna made air quotes. "Before you can get up and do anything else. Or at least I always need to."

"Yeah well, Melissa almost walked in on me "taking care" of that situation this morning."

"Awkward. Did she say anything to you?"

"No. I stopped before she saw anything."

"So...if you're having a lot of wet dreams about Emily, maybe it means you actually want to do it with her for real."

"I'm pretty sure I want to...I'm just really nervous, you know? What if I'm bad? What if Emily doesn't like it?"

"Nobody doesn't like it, Spence." Hanna laughed. "Besides, I think you'll probably find yourself on the receiving end of things to start. Just let Emily take control and use what ever she does as a guide. Oh and don't be a starfish. No one likes a starfish."

"What's a starfish?" Spencer asked.

"Someone who just lays there and doesn't move or do anything during sex. It's boring."

"Great. I have to think about whether or not I'm moving enough? I don't want Emily to think I'm boring...Now, I'm even more nervous."

"Relax. I think everyone is at least a little bit nervous about losing their virginity."

"I know, but Emily has so much more experience and I don't even know where to start, so I have to read stuff on the internet. It's embarrassing."

"No, it's not. You're just a perfectionist and a planner. You want to be prepared. There's nothing wrong with that. You want me to talk to Emily? I could try to find out what she likes to do in bed..."

"Oh God, no." Spencer answered quickly. "That's way too awkward, but thanks."

"Okay. I understand."

"Han...how do I know if I'm like really ready for this? I mean I'm eighteen now, I feel like I should be..."

"Age doesn't have anything to do with it, but I don't think anyone really knows that they're one hundred percent ready. It kind of just happens."

"I guess..."

"Listen, Spence, I think it's so awesome that you've held out for true love, I know it's not easy and I know you've been waiting for your knight in shining armor and honestly, I think Emily's it. She's perfect for you. She's so sweet. I don't know that you could find a better girl."

"I know. I love Emily. She's everything I've ever wanted and she's been so patient with me and my wanting to wait."

"She obviously loves and respects you a lot. I'm not trying to tell you want to do. It's completely up to you, but no one will judge you if you decide to sleep with her. You guys love each other, there's nothing wrong with expressing that, physically. Besides, it's not like whole world has to know if and when you do it. It should be between you and Emily. You don't even have to talk to me or Aria or Alison about it, if you don't want to. Try not to worry so much about everything. Just relax and go with the flow, when the right time comes, you'll know. But, definitely expect for things to be a little bit awkward. First times pretty much always are."

"Thanks, Han. I feel a lot better."

"Glad I could help."

* * *

Later that evening.

Spencer went downstairs and walked into the kitchen where her mother was cooking dinner.

"Spencer, honey, can you set the table for me, please?"  
Veronica asked.

"Sure…is dad going to be home for dinner?"

"No. I just got off the phone with him." Veronica said. "It looks like they're having some bad storms up in New York and his flight got cancelled. The next available flight back to Pennsylvania is for tomorrow at seven p.m. So I guess he'll be stuck in New York until tomorrow night."

"What's he going to do until tomorrow?" Spencer asked, pulling some dishes out of the cabinet.

"Probably just find a hotel and spend the night watching sports on TV and ordering one of everything from the room service menu." Veronica said.

"Well…I guess when you put it that way, it doesn't sound quite so bad." Spencer laughed.

"I'm sure he's secretly glad." Veronica chuckled.

"Probably…what are we eating anyway?" Spencer asked.

"I made chicken. Can you go to the barn and tell your sister and Wren that dinner's just about ready?"

"Can I just text Melissa?"

"Why? Are your legs broken?" Veronica asked, pulling a pan of chicken from the oven.

"No…but what if they're like…doing it or something. I don't want to see that."

"That's why we should knock first." Veronica said. "Especially with five people living here."

"Yeah? Someone should really tell Melissa that." Spencer mumbled.

"What was that, sweetheart?"

"Nothing, mom. I'll be right back."

"Okay. Thank you."


	37. Chapter 37

Hey, everyone! I know this update is a little short, but I wanted to update with something. I promise the next chapter will be something more substantial. Hope you enjoy the new chapter, anyway. :)  
-Fender18

* * *

On Monday morning, Emily arrived at the Hastings' house to find Veronica on her way out the door.

"Good morning, Missus Hastings."

"Good morning, Emily. How are you doing today?"

"Pretty well. And yourself?"

"I'm fine, thanks. I'm glad I caught you before I left..."

"You are?"

"Yes. I have a check for you." Veronica reached into her bag and handed Emily her paycheck.

"Thank you, but I'm still working for the rest of the week. I'm not supposed to finish the job and get my last paycheck until Friday."

"I know, but I can trust you to do the work, so I figured I'd just write you a check now. It'll be easier than waiting around for my husband to do it."

"Well, thank you very much."

"You've certainly earned it, sweetheart. I need to get to my office, I'll talk to you later."

"Have a good day."

"You too, thanks."

A moment later, Spencer walked across the yard and over to Emily.

"Hey, Em." Spencer said, approaching her girlfriend.

"Hey." Emily leaned down to kiss Spencer.

"What were you talking to my mom about?"

"Oh, she was just giving me my paycheck."

"I can't believe you'll only be working here four more days after today. I've gotten so used to having you around all the time."

"I know, but I'll be doing less construction work and more design work, so my schedule will be a little bit more flexible."

"Good. I was actually hoping maybe you'd come with me to get fitted for my bridesmaid dress on Saturday. Melissa has a second fitting for her wedding dress too, so I was thinking maybe we could all go out to lunch afterward or something."

"Um, sure, if you want me there."

"Of course I do."

"All right. I'll go."

"Thanks, Em...I gotta get to school. I'll see you this afternoon."

"Okay. See ya later." Emily leaned down and kissed Spencer goodbye.

Before getting into her car, Spencer waved to Emily's crew members, who were pulling into the driveway.

"Hey, Em." Mike said as he got out of the car along with Ben and Chris.

"Hey. You guys ready to get to work?" Emily asked, pulling her tool belt out of her truck.

"Ready when you are, boss." Mike said.

"So, Em, looks like things are going pretty well between you and Spencer. " Chris said.

"Yeah. Really well."

"I wanted to ask...you think your girl would allow you hang out with us this weekend?" Mike asked. "We were thinking of going to Hooters for the Flyers game, then checking out that new club that just opened up outside of town."

"Isn't that a place a strip club?" Emily asked.

"Yeah. So?" Ben said, nonchalantly. "I know strippers don't bother you, you've gotten a lap dance before."

"Yeah, on my birthday, which I seem to remember specifically telling you guys no strippers."

"Don't act like you weren't into it." Mike laughed. "You know you liked it."

"Yeah, well, I was single then. I'm not now and I really don't think Spencer would appreciate me going to Hooters, much less any strip clubs. Besides, I already have plans, I just agreed to go to Spencer's bridesmaid dress fitting for her sister's wedding..."

"Yeah, that sounds like fun. She's got you so whipped, dude." Mike laughed.

"I'm not whipped. I just like to make her happy, that's all."

"Whipped." Emily's crew laughed in unison as they looked at each other.

"Okay. Maybe just a little..." Emily said. "But, I do stuff for her because I want to, not because she makes me."

"Good." Chris said. "You let yourself become a total doormat for Stephanie. I don't want to see you get into that type of a situation again. Especially because Spencer's so young."

"It's definitely not like that at all with Spencer. She's a lot more mature at eighteen than Stephanie ever was the whole time we were together." Emily said as she and her crew began walking across the yard.

"So..." Mike said.

"So, what...?" Emily looked over at him.

"Speaking of Spencer...you hit that, yet?"

"Nope."

"Geez, Em. You guys have been dating for what, close to two months now?" Mike said. "And you still haven't fucked, how is that even possible?"

"I told her that when she's ready, she'd have to make the first move. Apparently, she hasn't felt ready to go there with me, yet."

"You've definitely got a lot of will power." Ben said. "I think I'd be going crazy by now."

"It's not like it's been easy for me." Emily said. "I usually feel like I need a cold shower after every time we make out."

"You've got a serious case of blue balls." Mike said. "Why don't you just like ask Spencer to give you a hand job or something? You know, to take the edge off."

Emily just stared at Mike.

"What? It's better than having to give yourself one. You guys wouldn't even have to be naked. She gets you off, you feel better, she's still a virgin. Everyone's happy."

"I can't ask her that. You don't ask for a hand job, it just happens." Emily rolled her eyes. "Besides, I said in the beginning I wasn't going to pressure her into anything and I won't, I love her too much. She wants our first sexual experience together to be special. She wants romance. And I'll do what ever I can to make sure she gets that, even if it means having to work through a little bit of sexual frustration."

* * *

It was early evening when Emily and her crew had finished working for the day. Emily was busy packing up her truck when Spencer walked across the driveway.

"You all done for the day?" Spencer asked.

"Yep. Just finished."

"Did you take a break for lunch?"

"Yeah, but I didn't have time to eat. I spent the entire half hour picking up the new carpet for the addition. The store couldn't find the order. I don't know how you could miss a giant roll of carpet, but what do I know?"

"Aw. Poor thing, you're probably starving. Come inside, I'll make you something." Spencer said, linking her fingers through two of the belt loops on Emily's jeans.

"Won't your dad be home from work soon?"

"He's still in New York. His fight got cancelled yesterday and he couldn't get another one until later tonight."

"Cool...not that his flight got cancelled, but that I get to spend time with you."

"I know what you meant." Spencer smiled and reached up to kiss Emily. "Now...how do you feel about grilled cheese?"

"Sounds great."

"Come on." Spencer took Emily's hand as they both walked across the yard.

* * *

Later that evening, Emily and Spencer were sitting at the kitchen island when Melissa walked into the house.

"Hi, Emily."

"Hey, Melissa. How's it goin'?" Emily asked.

"Good, thanks. You?"

"Great."

"Hey, Spence, have you seen my blue plaid Burberry pea coat anywhere?"

"Um, yeah...it's in the upstairs hall closet, I think."

"Thanks." Melissa said as she disappeared up the stairs, returning a few moments later with the coat in her hand.

"What do you need a wool coat for? it's not even that cold." Spencer said.

"Not here, but my company's sending me to a conference in Boston. It's supposed to be cold, maybe even snow a little."

"That's the north east for you." Emily said, raising her glass of water to her lips. "Barely November and already looking at snow. I'm glad all we've got right now is rain."

"So am I." Melissa agreed.

"How long are you gonna be in Boston?" Spencer asked.

"Just a couple of days. My flight leaves at six a.m. tomorrow morning. I'm staying at hotel near the airport tonight, but, I'll be back Friday evening, in time to go to my dress fitting on Saturday. Emily, are you coming with Spencer and I? I told her to ask you."

"She did ask me and yes, I'll be there."

"Good."

"What color bridesmaid dresses did you end up picking?" Emily asked.

"They're light blue with some white accents. Maybe when we're finished with the fitting, we can find you something to wear to match Spencer's outfit."

"Sure. Sounds good." Emily nodded.

"I'm gonna have so much fun playing dress up with you." Spencer laughed as she ran her fingers through Emily's hair.

Emily just rolled her eyes.

"You know, you don't exactly strike me as the dress and heels type." Melissa said.

"I'm not, really. I'm kinda tall for heels and I think dresses make me look awkward, I have really broad shoulders. But, I'll wear what ever you guys pick out for me, it's your wedding, I definitely won't argue."

"You can wear a suit." Melissa said. "We'll find you something both nice and comfortable."

"You're a saint." Emily looked up at Melissa with a relieved expression on her face.

"Let's not go too far." Spencer laughed. "Saint might be pushing it."

"Whatever." Melissa rolled her eyes. "I need to go finish packing."

"Do you need like a ride to your hotel or anything?" Emily asked.

"My fiancé's going to take me as soon as he gets home. Thanks for the offer, though."

"No problem. Have a good trip."

"Thanks. I'll see you guys later."

Melissa then turned and walked out of the house.

"Well, I guess I should probably headed home." Emily said. "Thanks for feeding me."

"You're welcome. I'll walk you out."

Spencer and Emily both got up and walked toward the front door.

"See you tomorrow morning." Spencer said.  
"I'll be here." Emily said, she and Spencer lingering in the doorway and making no real effort to move.

Emily placed one of her hands on the side of Spencer's face and leaned down to kiss her. Spencer placed her hand on Emily's chest as the architect deepened the kiss. After holding the kiss for a few long moments, Emily pulled away.

"Text me later?" Spencer asked, when the kiss was broken.

"You can count on it." Emily smiled.

Emily then leaned down and kissed Spencer one more time.

"Goodnight, Spence. I love you."

"I love you too. Be careful driving home."

"I will."

Spencer slowly slid her hand down Emily's chest, over her stomach and grabbed the architect's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze before letting go and watching Emily walk back to her truck.


	38. Chapter 38

Later that night, Spencer was sitting in the living room watching the last period of the Flyers game with her father.

"You two are still watching hockey?" Veronica said, pouring herself a cup of tea.

"Of course." Peter said. "Baseball season's over, what else are we supposed to watch?...Do you have your bags all packed?"

"Just about." Veronica said.

"You're going somewhere?" Spencer asked, looking up at her mother.

"Pittsburgh." Veronica said. "I have a meeting with a client...I'm going upstairs. Goodnight."

"Night, mom."

"Don't stay up too late." Veronica patted her husband's shoulder as she walked by.

"I guess we're gonna have to fend for ourselves with both your mother and sister gone, huh sport?" Peter laughed, placing his arm around his daughter.

"I guess so." Spencer laughed.

* * *

"I should probably be heading upstairs." Spencer said, standing up from the couch, when the hockey game ended. "I think I'll read a little bit before bed."

"All right. Goodnight, Spence." Peter said.

"Night, dad."

Spencer then disappeared up the stairs and to her room.

Peter was about five minutes into the local nightly news broadcast when he heard a cell phone chime. He pulled his own phone out of his pocket, but there didn't seem to be any new notifications. A moment later he noticed Spencer's phone sitting on the coffee table, face down. Peter stood up and picked up the phone to take it upstairs to his daughter. The phone then chimed a second time in Peter's hand. He glanced down at the screen to see that Spencer had two new text messages. The messages were from Emily, who Spencer had listed in her contacts simply as 'Emily,' with two pink heart icons on either side of the name. Peter stared at Spencer's lock screen behind the text notification at the phone's wallpaper. It was a photo collage. He immediately recognized Emily Fields in two of the photos with his daughter. One photo was of Spencer with her arms wrapped around Emily as they posed in front of the fountain in Love Park. The other was of Spencer and Emily kissing in front of the very same fountain. Peter stared at the screen, not blinking for a few long moments, he couldn't even believe what he was seeing.

"Hey, dad, have you seen my phone?" Spencer asked, walking back downstairs.

Peter didn't immediately speak, but only turned around with the phone in his right hand. Spencer noticed a look of anger in her father's eyes.

"You have a hell of a lot of explaining to do." Peter pressed the power button on the phone, bringing up the lock screen again, as he handed the phone to his daughter.

"Dad...I..." Spencer was a at a complete loss for words.

"What exactly is going on, Spencer?" Peter said, sternly. "I want the truth and I want it right now."

Spencer closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.

"Emily and I have been seeing each other...okay? You weren't supposed to find out like this..."

"The whole time she's been working here, you two have been screwing around and lying to your mother and I." Peter said, angrily, his eyes never leaving his daughter.

"Not the whole time..."

"Veronica!" Peter's voice rang out through the house.

"Mom already knows and so does Melissa."

"You're not to see Emily again." Peter snapped. "She's done here. As of tomorrow morning, she's fired."

"You can't do that." Spencer spat back.

"I'll do what ever I damn well please in my house…I can't believe this. She's too old for you..."

A moment later, Veronica appeared on the staircase.

"What is all the yelling about?" Veronica asked, tightening the belt of her robe around her waist as she walked down the stairs.

"You knew Spencer was having a relationship with our architect and you didn't tell me?" Peter yelled, unable to control the volume of his voice.

"First of all, you need to calm down." Veronica said.

"How am I supposed to calm down?" Peter snapped. "Emily was hired here to do a job, which I paid her good money to do. I'm not paying her to hit on my daughter. This is totally unprofessional and inappropriate. I'm not allowing it."

"Don't blame Emily." Spencer said, a few tears welling up in her eyes. "If you're going to blame someone, blame me. I'm the one who went after her. She didn't do anything wrong."

"I don't even care who started it. Either way, she's old enough to know better. Acting on any advance you made was the wrong thing to do."

"Spencer, honey, go up to your room. Let your father and I talk about this." Veronica said, calmly.

Spencer wiped a tear from her eye and walked up the stairs, stopping when she was out of sight, but still in ear shot of her parents, on the top landing of the staircase.

"Peter. Why are you so upset? What's really bothering you about all of this?" Veronica asked. "Is it because Emily's a woman? Are you upset because Spencer is gay?"

"Emily's lucky she's a woman. If it had been a twenty three year old man screwing around with my eighteen year old daughter, he'd be dead right now. How long has this been going on?"

"Probably close to two months, now. But, I only found out about two weeks ago."

"Part of the reason I hired a female architect was so that I wouldn't have to worry about any men trying anything with my daughters. Besides that, Emily is entirely too old for Spencer and I don't want them seeing each other."

"I'm not exactly thrilled that Emily's five years older either, but she's a sweet kid, who treats our daughter with love and respect..."

"She lied to us, Veronica. Both of them did."

"Can you blame them? Spencer was afraid to tell you the truth. She was only trying to protect Emily. She thought you'd overreact and fire her."

"I'm not overreacting, but she's damn right Emily's getting fired. I thought she was a professional, but obviously I misjudged her. We can't trust her. When Emily walks through that door tomorrow morning, I'm firing her and that's final."

"You can't fire her." Veronica said. "I already paid her for the rest of the job."

"Why would you do that? That gives a person absolutely no incentive to finish a job on time or to do it right."

"Despite what you think, I trust Emily and I know she'll take care of everything."

"Fine. Then, I'm going to be here every day for the rest of the week, until the job is done so that I can keep an eye on Emily, I don't want her and Spencer alone together."

"Peter, you're being ridiculous, not to mention completely unreasonable."

"No, I'm not. What kind of father would I be if I let my high school daughter date a construction worker?"

"She's an architect and a perfectly respectable person, who you liked just fine until a few minutes ago. You've been raving about her to everyone since she started working here."

"That was before I knew she was messing around with my daughter. You know how construction workers are, who knows what goes through their filthy little minds. They think about one thing and one thing only. I don't want Spencer to be the object of that."

"Don't stereotype Emily. She's not like that at all. The girl goes to church every Sunday and she even calls you 'sir.' You're worrying for no reason, they aren't having sex."

"How the hell would you know?" Peter snapped.

Veronica narrowed her eyes, slightly taken aback by her husband's tone.

"Spencer and I had an open, honest discussion. I asked if she and Emily were sexually active, she told me they aren't."

"And you believe that? Do you really think she'd tell you if they were?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. Spencer feels like she can be honest with me because I've treated this situation with sensitivity and understanding. She could have used a little of both of those things from her father tonight. You could try being supportive. Your youngest daughter just came out to you and you respond by losing your temper, yelling at her and telling her she's not allowed to see her girlfriend. Kids get emotionally scarred over things like that, Peter."

"I don't know how you can be so accepting. If Spencer's gay, that's fine, but I will not allow this relationship to continue. Not in my house."

"You can't force them to break up. You realize that's only going to make Spencer hate you and drive her closer to Emily. You can't help who you fall for. At least Spencer is with someone who respects her and treats her well. Those relationships aren't as easy to come by nowadays. We've always taught our girls to be passionate and confident and to go after what they want. We don't have any right to be angry at Spencer for doing just that."

"Clearly we aren't going to see eye to eye on this matter." Peter said, indifferently.

"Why don't you sleep on it. Maybe things will look differently in the morning."

"How can you tell me to sleep? I'm too angry to sleep." Peter said, pacing about the room.

"Fine. Stay up and be angry. I'm going to go upstairs and try to comfort our daughter, who's probably up in her room crying her eyes out right now. Feel free to come up and apologize to her, but if you decide not to, don't bother coming to bed."

Veronica then walked out of the room and headed upstairs.

* * *

Upon hearing Veronica's footsteps on the stairs, Spencer turned and headed into her room. She sat down on her bed and wiped away a few tears as they slipped down her cheek.

"Don't worry, honey. Everything's going to be fine." Veronica sat down next to her daughter and brushed a stray stand of hair away from her face.

"It's not fair, mom." Spencer sobbed. "Emily's been nothing but sweet to me the entire time I've known her and now dad hates her. This is all my fault."

"It's nobody's fault, Spencer. I think your father's just going to need some time to adjust to the idea of you and Emily as a couple...what made you decide to tell him, tonight?"

"I didn't. I left my phone downstairs by accident and he found it. He saw a picture of Emily and I on it. Mom...you can't fly to Pittsburgh tomorrow. Please don't go. You can't leave me alone with dad."

"I have to go, I can't get out of this meeting, but I won't be gone for long. I promise you, everything will be okay." Veronica hugged her daughter and gently began stroking her hair.

"Emily's gonna be so mad at me." Spencer said as she clung tightly to her mother.

"This isn't your fault and it's not Emily's fault either. Your father will come around. I don't think Emily's going anywhere."

"I need to call her...I can't let her blindly walk in here tomorrow morning, thinking everything's fine."

"I think that's a good idea. Tell her not to worry, I'm not letting your father fire her."

"Thank you for being so supportive of us. It means a lot to me." Spencer leaned forward and hugged her mother again. "I love you."

"I love you too. I'll give you some privacy so you can call Emily. I'll probably be gone before you wake up tomorrow, but I'll be back as soon as I can. We'll get everything straightened out with your father. Don't stress yourself out about it."  
"Thanks, mom."

Veronica smiled at her daughter and placed her thumb over the indentation in Spencer's chin, before leaning forward and kissing her daughter on the forehead. Veronica then stood up and walked out of the room.

Spencer picked up her phone and quickly called Emily's number. After waiting three rings, Emily picked up.

"Hey, Spence. What's up?" Emily said.

"Em…we need to talk."

"Is everything okay?" Emily asked, concerned that Spencer's voice sounded weak and frail.

"Please don't get upset, but my dad accidentally found out about us…"

"Oh God." Emily panicked. "How'd he take it?"

"Not very well. He wanted to fire you, but my mom wouldn't let him. He doesn't want us to see each other. He said he's gonna be home for the rest of the week so he can keep an eye on you, because he doesn't want us to be alone together. Em…I'm so sorry…"

Spencer's sentences ran together and Emily could tell that she was crying.

"Spence, calm down. Don't cry, you don't have anything to be sorry for. Your dad was bound to find out sooner or later. Things will definitely be awkward tomorrow, but I'll get through it. I love you and I'll make sure your dad knows that. Nothing is going to keep me away from you. I promise."

Emily's voice was calm, but her heart was racing a mile a minute in her chest.

"You mean it?"

"Of course I do. There's nothing your dad can do to me that would change the way I feel about you, so don't you dare worry your pretty little head about it. Not even for a minute."

"I love you so much, Em."

"I love you too. Why don't you try to get some sleep? You do still have school tomorrow, you know."

"I'll try, but I don't know how much sleep I'll actually get."

"You have to sleep. How else are you supposed to dream about me?" Emily laughed.

Spencer let out a slight chuckle on the other end of the line.

"Sweet dreams, Spence…goodnight."

"Night, Em."

Once Emily had ended the call, she tossed her phone on to her bed and sat down. Emily rested her elbows on her knees and placed her chin in her hands. She stared straight ahead at the wall in front of her.

"God, I'm so screwed." Emily sighed.

* * *

Just wanted to add in a quick author's note, unrelated to this story. If you guys are into PLL AU stories or just looking for an interesting read, check out the story "Control" by HugzForFree. It's an AU Spemily story. Spencer's an English teacher, Emily's a student. It's only got three chapters so far, but it's shaping up to be a good read so far. Check it out. :)

-Fender18


	39. Chapter 39

Early the next morning, Spencer went downstairs where she saw a few pillows and a blanket messily strewn about the living room couch. It appeared as though her father had spent the night on the couch. Spencer walked into the kitchen and made herself some coffee, she hoped getting some caffeine in her body would help her get through the day a little bit easier. Spencer sat down at the kitchen island drinking her coffee and waiting for Emily to show up. She heard her phone chime for the fourth time this morning. Spencer noticed that she had another new message from Hanna, none of the previous three messages had be returned and this one would also go unanswered, as Spencer was much too wrapped in her thoughts of Emily to even read the texts.

A few minutes later, Peter walked into the kitchen, rubbing the base of his neck with one of his hands, Spencer assumed he now had a painfully stiff neck, she knew first hand from falling asleep on the couch numerous times and waking up with sore muscles how uncomfortable the couch was to sleep on.

"Shouldn't you be getting to school?" Peter asked as he opened one of the kitchen drawers and pulled out a bottle of extra strength pain reliever.

"I'm waiting for Emily."

"No, you're not. She has a job to finish here and from now on, that doesn't involve you. Go to school, Spencer." Peter snapped.

It always made Spencer a little uneasy when her father raised his voice to her.

"Fine." Spencer gave her father a cold stare as she stood up and picked up her cell phone.

"You know what? Before you leave, give me your cell phone." Peter said, using a very stern tone of voice. "I don't want you having any sort of contact with Emily at all."

"You can't take my phone. It's mine."

"The last time I checked, I paid the bill, not you. Give it to me, now."

"What if there's an emergency and I need it?"

"I'm sure one of your friends will let you borrow one of their phones." Peter said, coldly as he reached out and took the phone out of Spencer's hand.

Spencer watched as Peter turned the phone off and shoved into his shirt pocket.

"You'll be home immediately after school is over." Peter's sentence was more of a demand than a question.

"I have hockey practice until four. Maybe you'd know that if you ever paid any attention to me." Spencer said, snidely.

"Go to practice. I'll expect you home no later than four thirty."

"Whatever."

"No. Not whatever. You will be home by four thirty or you're going to be in a lot of trouble."

"I don't care."

Spencer then picked up her backpack and walked out the door without saying another word to her father.

* * *

Emily could feel her heart thumping hard against her chest as she parked her truck in the Hastings' driveway. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment before shutting the engine off and stepping out of the truck. Emily strapped her tool belt around her waist, took her tool box out of the back of her truck and slowly walked toward the addition, where she'd find Spencer's father.

"Mister Hastings." Emily said, softly.

Emily set her tool box down on the floor.

"Let's get something straight here, the only reason I'm not firing you right now is because according to my wife, she already paid you. So...you'll finish this job and I'll be here to see to it that it gets done."

"I understand..."

"When you're finished, you're not to see my daughter again. She's entirely too young for you. Have I made myself clear?"

"I know there's a five year age difference between us and I understand why you're unhappy about that, but I can't stop seeing Spencer. She means a lot to me and it's been a really long time since I've felt so close to someone..."

"I didn't pay you to start a relationship of any kind with my daughter." Peter's tone was much more belligerent. "You were hired here to do a job and be on your way. That's how it works and that's what I expect to happen."

"Mister Hastings...sir...I..."

"I trusted you, Emily."

There was obvious disappointment in Peter's voice.

"You still can." Emily said, forcing herself to look Peter in the eyes.

"No. I really don't think so, not after being lied to for months. I thought you were a professional. A true responsible professional would never become involved with a client's daughter under any circumstance."

"I agree with you, what I did wasn't appropriate or at all professional. I've thought all of that through, believe me. I figured you'd probably be less than thrilled with me, but I prepared myself to deal with that. I want you to know that I never meant any disrespect to you or your wife. I'm sorry for the way things happened, but I won't apologize for falling in love with your daughter and I'll do whatever it takes for you to understand that I honestly do love Spencer very much."

Peter cringed slightly at Emily's multiple use of the word "love."

"This isn't negotiable, Emily. I have to do what I feel is best for my daughter and that doesn't include her having a relationship with you."

A moment later, Emily and Peter looked over at the door as Emily's crew walked in.

"I'll be in my office." Peter said, before turning and walking out of the room.

"What was that about?" Mike asked as soon as Peter left the room.

"He knows about Spencer and I." Emily sighed. "He basically just told me that I'm not allowed to see her."

"He can't do that." Chris said. "What are you gonna do about this?"

"I don't know. I can't stop seeing Spencer...I just wish I wasn't still working here, it'd be a little easier."

"We're already ahead of schedule, maybe we'll be able to finish a few days early." Mike said. "I bet if we work through lunch, stay late tonight and start early tomorrow we can be done by tomorrow evening. There's really not that much work left to do."

"You'd do that for me?" Emily asked.

"Of course we will, Em. You're not just our boss, you're our friend." Chris said. "We've got your back."

"Come on, let's get to work." Ben said. "Emily and I can work on installing this carpet, you guys can finish up the electrical stuff."

"Thanks, guys." Emily smiled, slightly.

* * *

"So...your dad knows about you and Emily, now?" Hanna asked, staring across the lunchroom table at Spencer.

"Yeah, he flipped out and yelled at me, then he and my mom started arguing about everything. Thank God my mom already paid Emily, so my dad pretty much can't fire her. He wanted to."

"He's not mad about you being gay, is he?" Aria asked.

"No. He doesn't care that I'm gay. He just doesn't want me with Emily. I didn't even get to see her this morning. Who knows what my dad said to her."

"Just text her and ask." Alison suggested. "It'll take like two seconds for her to answer, that is if your dad didn't like kill her or something."

"Thanks, Alison. That makes me feel a lot better." Spencer said, sarcastically. "Poor Em, my dad's probably breathing down her neck. And I can't text her anyway, my dad took away my phone. He doesn't want me to even talk to her."

"You can borrow my phone if you want." Hanna slid her phone across the table to Spencer.

"Thanks, Han."

"I don't understand why your dad won't let you see Emily. She's like the nicest, sweetest person ever." Hanna said.

"I know, but my dad doesn't see it that way. I don't get it. He liked her a lot before, but he finds out we're dating and now he thinks she's just another horny construction worker looking for sex."

"She's looking in the wrong place, then." Alison was the only one who laughed at her own joke.

"Shut up, Alison." Hanna said. "You're not helping."

"You haven't done anything with Emily, though." Aria said.

"Yeah. My mom told my dad that, but he doesn't listen. He's being such an ass and to make things worse, my mom and Melissa are both out of town and Wren's working crazy hours, so it's just me and my dad."

"Listen, Spence, if you really want to stick it to your dad, just let Emily fuck you." Alison said. "There's nothing your dad can do about it. Besides, it's about time anyway."

"Again. You're not helping." Hanna said.

"At least you have your mom on your side." Aria placed her hand on Spencer's shoulder. "I'm sure everything will blow over soon. Your dad will have to eventually see that you and Emily are so good together."

"I hope so. I love Emily so much and I feel terrible that it's my fault that my dad found out when he did. If only I didn't leave my phone out. I'm so stupid."

"You're not stupid." Aria said. "It was just an accident."

* * *

The next evening.

After a very hard day's work without taking any breaks, Emily and her crew finally finished their project at the Hastings' house.

"Thanks for all of your hard work, guys." Emily said. "I really appreciate it."

"No problem, boss." Mike said.

"You need any help packing up your truck?" Ben asked, looking at Emily.

"No, thanks. I'm good. Why don't you guys go ahead and get out of here?"

Once her crew had left, Emily walked through the Hastings' house, looking for Peter. She slowly walked to Peter's office and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Peter called out.

Emily opened the door and stepped inside.

"Did you need something?" Peter asked, indifferently.

"I just wanted to let you know that my crew and I finished the addition."

"You finished a little early?"

"Yes, sir, by a couple of days."

"Hhmm…it's amazing how much work you can get done when you cut out distractions." Peter said, looking up from his computer screen.

"Would you like to come give the addition a final inspection before I leave?" Emily said, deciding to ignore the jab by Spencer's father.

"As a matter of fact, I think I would." Peter stood up from his desk.

Emily and Peter both walked through the house and back to the addition. Peter looked around the room at the beautiful glass French doors. He then stared out the two large picture windows on the opposite wall, which showed off a very nice view of the Hastings' pool. Peter didn't want to admit it, but everything seemed flawlessly built. The overall structure of the large two room addition was very well designed and solidly built. Even the paint job looked perfect.

"Is there anything else you'd like me to do?"

"Everything looks fine. You can go."

"You should really consider letting Spencer do the decorating. She's got a real eye for design, just look at the work she did on your guest house…I think she could even have a very successful career as an interior designer."

"Interior designing won't be part of her college plans. Spencer will be attending law school. I don't care what kind of ridiculous ideas you've been pushing on her."

"I haven't pushed anything on her. I'm just saying, she likes design and she's got a natural talent for it, that's all. She should do what ever she wants…Mister Hastings...I know you're not happy with me, but isn't there anything I can do to get you to change your mind about Spencer and I?"

"You can go home, Emily." Peter said, avoiding eye contact with the architect.

"Sir, please. I'll I'm asking is for you to give me a chance. Let me take you and your family out to dinner, just get to know me. I promise you, I'm a good person and I really do care a lot about Spencer."

"I told you yesterday, my mind has already been made up."

Emily closed her eyes for a moment and sighed heavily. She then turned and walked out of the addition to her truck.

* * *

Later that evening, Spencer had been up in her room doing homework when her father knocked on her bedroom door and entered the room.

"I'm going out to pick up something for dinner. What do you want?" Peter asked.

"Nothing. I'm not hungry." Spencer said, barely looking up from the textbook in her lap.

"You need to eat something. You barely ate last night."

"I'm not hungry."

"I'll bring you back something. How's pizza sound?"

Spencer just shrugged.

"I'll be back shortly."

Peter turned and walked out of the room. Spencer got up off of the bed and watched out the window for her father to leave. When his car pulled out of the driveway, Spencer went downstairs, picked up the landline phone from it's cradle and dialed Emily's number. After a few rings, Emily picked up, though she didn't recognize the number on the caller ID.

"Hello?" Emily said.

"Em."

"Spencer?"

"I just wanted to talk to you. How were things today?"

"Okay. I finished the job."

"You did?"

"Yeah."

"I'm gonna go look." Spencer walked through the house and into the new addition.

"Em, everything looks great." Spencer said, looking around the room.

Spencer then noticed Emily's tool belt lying on the floor in the corner of the room.

"You left your tool belt here." Spencer walked across the room and picked up the belt. "Come over and get it. I wanna see you."

"I wanna see you, too. But with your dad home, I can't."

"He went out to get a pizza, we have a little time. Please?"

"Okay. I'll be there in a few minutes."

* * *

It wasn't long before Spencer heard a knock at the door. She quickly walked across the living room and opened the door to find Emily standing on the other side. Spencer wrapped her arms around Emily and hugged her tight.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you." Spencer pulled back and stared up into Emily's eyes. "I'm so sorry, Em. This is all my fault. If I hadn't left my phone out..."

"No, Spencer. I told you, this isn't your fault, okay? Come here..." Emily took Spencer by the hand and led her over to the couch where they both sat down.

"When my mom comes home, I'll try to get her to talk to my dad again. He can't stop us from seeing each other."

"He can stop us, he just can't change how we feel."  
Emily leaned forward and gently pressed her lips to Spencer's.

It wasn't long before Peter pulled his car back into the driveway. He noticed a white Toyota Prius, which he didn't recognize, parked in front of the house. Peter assumed it belonged to someone who was visiting their next door neighbors as the street in front of the Hastings' house frequently became a parking lot, when the neighbors invited guests over. Peter reached over to the passenger seat and picked up a bag from one of the local fast food restaurants. Unfortunately for Emily and Spencer, Peter's decision to stop for burgers instead of pizza yielded a much shorter time out than previously expected. Peter stepped out of his car and walked to the house. When he opened the front door, Peter walked into the living room where he found his daughter involved in a lip lock with Emily.

"I thought I made myself clear…" Peter said, angrily, staring at Emily. "You've got a lot of nerve."

Spencer and Emily quickly separated and stood up as they looked at Peter.

"Dad…"

"How many times do I have to tell you? You are not to see my daughter again. Period." Peter's eyes never left Emily.

"I should go." Emily picked up her tool belt from the couch.

"You're damn right." Peter snapped.

"You don't have to." Spencer took Emily's hand. "Mom doesn't care if Emily's here." Spencer stared her father hard in the eyes.

"Well, your mother isn't here, is she?" Peter yelled.

"Spence…I really should go…" Emily swallowed the lump in her throat as she quickly moved toward the front door and slipped outside.

"You're such an ass." Spencer glared at her father and shook her head.

"You don't talk to me like that." Peter said.

"Why can't you just accept that Emily and I are in a relationship? Because she's older than I am? Would you have been this angry if she had been dating Melissa?"

"This isn't open for discussion, Spencer."

"Is it a status thing? You don't think Emily's good enough for our family, is that it? Why? Because I didn't meet her at the club? Because she doesn't sit in an office in a suit all day barking orders to people? Would you like her any more, if she did? You can do or say what ever you want, but you better get over it, dad, because I love her and that's not gonna change, no matter what you or anyone else thinks. If you can't accept Emily as my girlfriend, that's the same as not accepting me."

Spencer then turned and walked toward the door.

"Where exactly do you think you're going?" Peter snapped.

"I'm not staying here while mom's away. Not with you. I'll stay at Emily's."

"Like hell you will." Peter raised his voice again.

"Watch me." Spencer opened the front door and slammed it shut behind her.

* * *

When Spencer got to Emily's apartment, she knocked on the door, but after several minutes of waiting and no response, she looked around the parking lot for Emily's car, which she couldn't seem to locate. Spencer leaned against Emily's door frame as a few tears slipped down her cheeks out of pure frustration. A moment later, Emily's neighbor, Gwen, who Spencer had met a few days earlier, stepped out of her own apartment.

"Hi." Gwen said. "It's Spencer, right?"

"Yeah." Spencer nodded as she wiped a tear away.

"Is everything, okay?" Gwen asked.

"I just really need to see Emily, but I don't know where she is."

"She said she was going to the pool. I talked to her for a minute when I got home from work. I can take you there if you want."

"You'd do that?"

"Sure. I'm meeting a friend for coffee, but the pool's on the way. I can drop you off."

"Thank you." Spencer said.

* * *

When she got to the pool, Spencer opened one of the large double doors and stepped into the pool area, where Emily was alone, swimming laps. Spencer watched Emily dip below the water as she began her next lap from the opposite end of the pool. When Emily reached the other end of the pool where Spencer was standing, she looked up where she saw her girlfriend.

"Spence?" Emily asked as she lifted her goggles up on her forehead. "What are you doing here?"

Emily swam over to the side of the pool and rested her forearms on the ledge.

"After you left, I got into a fight with my dad and I walked out. I just needed to get away."

"I understand. That's why I came here. I kinda just wanted to try to clear my mind a little bit. You know, relieve some stress."

"You wouldn't be so stressed if it wasn't for me. Do you not want me here?" Spencer asked.

"That's not what I meant at all. I just meant that when I have a tough day or something, swimming helps me deal…I love that you're here, but how'd you know where I was?"

"I went to your apartment and I ran into your neighbor, Gwen, she brought me here."

Spencer took her shoes off, rolled up her jeans and sat down on the edge of the pool, dipping her feet into the water.

"I'm so sorry my dad is acting like such a jerk. You don't deserve to be treated that way."

"It's all right. I get it and as much as it sucks having your dad against us being together, I know he's just trying to protect you. It's what dads do…the good ones, anyway."

Spencer spent the next few moments, just staring at Emily in the water. The silence was broken only when Spencer's stomach growled loudly.

"Hungry?" Emily laughed.

"I'm starving. I haven't eaten since lunch at like eleven."

"Didn't your dad make you anything?"

"He kept telling me I needed to eat, but I said I wasn't hungry. I didn't want to talk to him or do anything just because he told me to."

"You're so stubborn." Emily shook her head. "Just let me swim a few more laps and I'll feed you. We can go back to my place."

"Okay. Just pretend like I'm not even here."

"Or you could join me." Emily said, gently tugging Spencer's leg.

"Oh my God. Don't you dare, this sweater is dry clean only." Spencer said. "If you pull me in, I'll seriously punch you."

"That's okay. I like things a little rough sometimes." Emily laughed.

Spencer kicked her feet out in front of her, splashing Emily in the face.

"What'd I say?" Emily asked, wiping the water from her eyes.

For the next half an hour, Spencer watched Emily swim lap after lap, never slowing down. Spencer couldn't believe how fast Emily was, it was no wonder she had received a scholarship for swimming. When Emily finished, she swam over to edge of the pool and lifted herself out of the water. Emily extended her hand down to Spencer to help her up. Spencer then walked over to the bleachers and picked up Emily's towel, which she handed to her girlfriend.

"Thanks." Emily said as she took the towel from Spencer.

Spencer took a moment to look Emily's body up and down in her tight, black two piece Speedo.

"Why haven't I seen you in a Speedo before now?" Spencer asked. "Damn."

Emily laughed.

"I'm trying to get back in shape."

"This is out of shape for you? Are you serious?"

"I'd just like to lose a couple of pounds and tone up a little. That's all. Just give me a minute to put some clothes on and we can get out of here."

Once Emily had gotten dressed, she and Spencer both walked through the lobby and toward the outside doors.

"Here, put this on." Emily handed Spencer her track jacket.

"Why?"

"Because it's cold outside and you didn't wear a coat."

* * *

Later that night, Spencer found herself involved in a very heated make out session with Emily on the architect's couch. The TV show they had been watching became background noise and was drowned out by heavy breathing and soft moans. Spencer slid her hands up underneath Emily's shirt, letting her fingers wander over her girlfriend's abdomen. Spencer pulled away from Emily's lips and began aggressively kissing and sucking the architect's neck.

"Spence, you okay?" Emily asked. "You're really aggressive tonight."

"I thought you liked it rough." Spencer said. "Do you want me to stop?"

"No. Not at all." Emily said as she leaned forward and pressed her lips to Spencer's again.

Emily shifted her position on the couch, she laid down on the couch and pulled Spencer down on top of her without breaking the kiss. Spencer slipped her tongue into Emily's mouth, fighting her girlfriend for dominance of the kiss. Emily closed her eyes as she felt herself becoming more and more aroused by the minute. Spencer's hands slipped down Emily's abdomen and yanked her belt buckle, quickly undoing it.

"Wait…Spence…stop." Emily said, sitting up.

"What's wrong? Don't I turn you on?"

"Spence, of course you do..."

"What's the problem, then? My dad already thinks we're having sex and everyone else questions why we aren't, so we may as well just do it."

Spencer reached down and grasped the button of Emily's jeans as she leaned in and tried to kiss the architect again.

"Not tonight. Not like this." Emily moved her head, avoiding Spencer's kiss as she pulled the brunette's hands back upward.

"But…I think…I'm ready to sleep with you."

"Spencer…" Emily took Spencer's hand in her own. "Thinking and knowing aren't the same thing. I don't want you to do something that you might regret in the morning because you're angry at your dad."

"I want this." Spencer said, though she sounded very unsure of herself. "I thought you did too."

"I do, but this doesn't feel right at all and I'm not about to take something away from you that I can't give back…not until my heart tells me that we're doing this for the right reasons. The right time will come along, okay? I promise you, it will, but tonight's not that time."

"Maybe you're right." Spencer sighed.

"I know I am." Emily nodded and leaned forward, placing a gentle, chaste kiss on Spencer's lips.

"Can I at least stay with you tonight? I don't wanna go home."

"Spencer, you can always stay here. You never have to ask."

"Thank you."

"Let's go to bed. I'll drive you to school in the morning."

Emily then got up off of the couch and walked into the bedroom, followed closely by Spencer.

"You want shorts or pants?" Emily asked, holding up a pair of blue pajama bottoms and a pair of red, green and blue tartan plaid boxer shorts.

"I'll take the shorts, please."

Emily smiled and tossed the shorts to Spencer. She then went back to the dresser and pulled out a plain, white t-shirt for Spencer as well as a pair of Philadelphia Phillies pajama bottoms for herself.

"I'll be right back." Emily said as she disappeared out of the bedroom.

Spencer got changed and laid down in Emily's bed. A few minutes later, Emily returned to the bedroom, in only her pajama pants and a gray sports bra. Emily turned out the light and got in bed next to her girlfriend. Spencer moved closer to Emily and wrapped her arms around the architect. Spencer laid her head on Emily's chest as Emily put her arm around the smaller brunette.

"I'm really sorry things are so complicated with us right now."

"Don't worry." Emily said as she gently ran her fingers though Spencer's hair. "I'm not giving up. I love you and that's all that matters."

"I love you, too." Spencer smiled weakly as she buried her face into the crook of Emily's neck.

It was only a matter of a few minutes until Spencer drifted off to sleep in the comfort and protection of Emily's arms.

"We'll be okay." Emily gently placed a kiss on Spencer's forehead. "Somehow."


	40. Chapter 40

Early the next morning, Spencer rolled over in Emily's bed, not feeling Emily lying next to her.

"Em?" Spencer said, groggily as she opened her eyes, confirming that she was alone.

Spencer stretched for a moment as the scent of bacon frying wafted through the air and into the bedroom. Spencer then got up and walked into the kitchen where she found Emily, still in her pajamas, standing over the stove, cooking breakfast. Feeling as though she was being watched, Emily turned around to see Spencer standing in the doorway.

"Morning, sunshine." Emily said as she walked over and kissed Spencer. "You hungry?"

"Sure." Spencer smiled.

"Good. Why don't you sit down? Breakfast will be ready in just a few minutes."

"What are we having?" Spencer asked as she pulled out a chair and sat down at the table.

"Homemade strawberry banana pancakes, bacon and eggs."

"That sounds amazing."

Emily stepped over to the refrigerator and opened the door. As she slightly bent over to retrieve a carton of eggs, Spencer's eyes focused on Emily's tattoo as she stared at her girlfriend's muscular, bare shoulders. Spencer's eyes slipped down to the small of Emily's back as she stood upright again.

"How do you like your eggs?" Emily asked.

When Spencer didn't respond, Emily turned around.

"Spence?"

"Sorry, what?" Spencer said, shaking her head and refocusing her attention.

"I asked how you like your eggs."

"Oh. Sunny side up, please."

"My favorite." Emily smiled.

Emily then turned around and cracked two eggs into a pan and discarded the shells into the trash.

"You know, I could totally get used to this." Spencer stood up and walked over to Emily.

"What's that?" Emily turned around to look at Spencer.

"You, shirtless, cooking me breakfast. I wish this could be every morning. It's so great being here. You must love having your own place. There's no one to tell you what to do, you can do what ever you want, when ever you want. I wish I had that."

"Yeah, but living alone isn't all it's cracked up to be. You have to do your own laundry, grocery shop, cook, clean and it can get lonely sometimes, not having anyone to talk to."

"Well…what if I moved in with you?" Spencer said, wrapping her arms around Emily's midsection. "I can do your laundry and clean and cook for you and I wouldn't have to deal with my dad. It can just be you and me. Together."

"Your dad just found out we're dating, I'm not sure moving in together would be the smartest thing for us to do. Don't get me wrong, I love having you here. But, you realize you do have to go home, eventually. You can't hide out from your dad forever."

"I guess…but I still don't want to stay at my house alone with my dad. Can I at least stay with you until my mom and Melissa come home?"

"Of course you can." Emily leaned down and kissed Spencer on top of the head.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. When are your mom and Melissa supposed to come back?"

"Melissa will be back tomorrow night and I'm hoping my mom will be too or by Saturday at the latest. She said she was only supposed to be gone for a couple of days."

"That's good."

"Are you still coming to my dress fitting on Saturday?"

"Sure, I wouldn't miss it, but now, what do you say we have some breakfast?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Grab a couple of plates and some silverware for us." Emily said as she turned around and shut off the stove.

Emily took the plate that the pancakes were on and set it down in the middle of the kitchen table. Emily placed a few pancakes, a generous amount of bananas and strawberries, an egg and a few strips of bacon onto Spencer's plate. Emily then took two mugs from the cabinet and filled them both with fresh, hot coffee. She placed one of the mugs next to Spencer's plate.

"Thank you." Spencer smiled, looking up at Emily. "You're the sweetest girlfriend ever."

* * *

"Spence?" Emily said as she knocked on the bedroom door. "You about ready? You're gonna be late for school."

"In a minute." Spencer called out.

Spencer pulled on her jeans that she had worn yesterday and rummaged through Emily's dresser looking for a shirt to wear. Spencer put on a plain white t shirt and pulled out a black, three button cardigan sweater from the bottom of the drawer and slipped it on. The sweater was a little baggy on her, but Spencer didn't mind, it was cozy and smelled like Emily.

"Okay, we can go." Spencer said as she walked out of the bedroom.

When they got to the school, Spencer sat in Emily's car for a moment, not wanting to move.

"You want me to pick you up after school?" Emily asked.

"Can you?"

"Sure. I'll be working at home today. I've got some drafting to do."

Spencer leaned over and kissed Emily. Spencer closed her eyes as Emily slowly deepened the kiss. As they kissed, Spencer and Emily heard a tap on the window. They both separated and noticed Hanna standing outside of the car, grinning from ear to ear. Emily put her window down as Hanna stepped over to the driver's side of the car.

"Morning." Emily said, looking out the window at Hanna. "How are you?"

"Good, but not as good as you two. You're gettin' it early this morning, Spence." Hanna laughed. "And I see you've got your own personal hottie to take you to school. Must be nice."

"It is." Spencer smiled.

Emily blushed a little.

"I gotta go. I'll see you this afternoon." Spencer leaned over and kissed Emily. "I love you."

"I love you too. Have a good day."

"Thanks." Spencer said as she stepped out of the car.

Spencer and Hanna both waved goodbye to Emily before turning and heading toward the school.

"So…that's definitely not your sweater…" Hanna said. "I know your clothes inside and out. And Emily brings you to school? You sleep at her apartment last night?"

"Yeah…and before you ask, no we didn't have sex."

"I wasn't going to ask that."

"Yeah right."

"Anyway…how are things between you and your dad, Spence? I assume he doesn't know you spent the night with Emily?"

"Actually he pretty much does, we barely spoke to each other yesterday. Emily finished working and she forgot her tool belt, so I told her to come get it because my dad went out to get something for dinner, he came back sooner than I thought he would and caught Emily and I together."

"What did he say?" Hanna asked.

"He flipped out. Emily left, then he and I got into a huge fight, so I walked out. I told him, I wasn't staying at home without my mom there, so I'm sleeping at Emily's until she comes home. There's no way I'm going home with him there."

"I don't blame you." Hanna said. "I wouldn't want to stay there with him hating on Emily. How's Emily taking everything, by the way?"

"Okay. She said she understands why my dad's acting the way he is, but it's still not fair."

"Look at the bright side though, at least you get to sleep at Emily's. I imagine she's just like a great big teddy bear to cuddle with."

"She is and it is really nice staying with her. When I woke up this morning, she was in the kitchen, making me breakfast minus a shirt."

"Hot. You're a lucky girl, Spence...so have you thought any more about you know, like _sleeping over_, sleeping over."

"See. I knew it. I knew you wanted to talk about sex." Spencer laughed. "You're more concerned about me getting laid than I am."

"I get overloaded with details about Aria and Noel, it'd be nice to hear something different for a change."

"Well, I don't really have anything much to give you, I mean I tried to get Emily to have sex with me last night, but she turned me down. I practically threw myself at her. I was like on top of her doing everything I could to get her pants off, but she wouldn't have it."

"What? Why didn't you tell me? Why would she turn you down?"

"She said it didn't feel right. She didn't want me to do something I might regret because I was mad at my dad."

"Were you wanting to do it because you were mad at your dad?"

"I don't know, maybe…"

"I know that's what Alison told you to do, but don't listen to her. She doesn't know what she's talking about."

"I know. I was just having a momentary lapse in judgment. I've had a lot on my mind these last few days. But, lucky for me, Emily was sweet enough to not take advantage of the situation."

"She'd never take advantage of you. You've got yourself a really good girl, Spence. She loves you, I bet it wasn't easy for her to turn you down. If you've been thinking about sex, she probably has been too."

"I feel bad making her wait, but I just don't know how to go about things when I do feel ready, I just don't want to end up embarrassing myself."

"You over think things. I told you, you just need to relax and go with the flow. You're nervous for nothing. Emily knows you're a virgin and obviously it doesn't bother her. It'll happen for you, but you have to let yourself relax."

"I know…can I ask you something?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Would it be weird or offensive if I asked Emily how many girls she's slept with?"

"Is that what's bugging you? You're so nervous because you're afraid Emily's been with a lot of girls?"

"Well, kind of. Emily's been known to like to hit it and quit it in the past..." Spencer said as she opened the door to the school and walked inside with Hanna.

"You don't think Emily would do that to you? You know better. So Emily used to be a player, she's obviously not anymore. Honestly, I don't think it matters how many girls she's hooked up with in the past, you can't change it, so why worry about it? She's yours now, that's what counts."

"She's not my property, Han, I don't treat her that way."

"I know, I didn't mean it like that. But, you've totally got her wrapped around your finger. She's in love with you. I know she is because she didn't even hesitate to say she loved you in front of me. That doesn't seem like a player to me and I don't see her going anywhere. But if it's important to you to know how many girls she's slept with before you take that next step, then just talk to her about it. I'm sure she'll be honest with you."

"You're right. I should just probably ask, openly and honestly. She's opened up a lot to me, this shouldn't be any different."

"I think that's the best way to go about it. If Emily has been with a lot of girls, though, don't take it too much to heart, it might actually be a good thing for you. The more practice she's had the better she probably is at knowing exactly what to do with her hands, mouth…" Hanna looked over at Spencer and smirked. "And her tongue. Could be very beneficial to you. Besides, she's totally buff, I bet she's fun to see naked."

Spencer blushed slightly as a slew of dirty thoughts raced through her mind.

"Thanks, Han. I'm so glad I can talk to you about relationship stuff."

"That's what I'm here for." Hanna threw her arm around Spencer's shoulders as they continued walking down the hall to their lockers.


	41. Chapter 41

Early Friday evening, when Veronica arrived home, she walked into the house and down the hall toward Peter's office, where she assumed he would be.

"I'm home." Veronica said, opening the office door.

"How was your trip?" Peter asked, looking up from his desk.

"It was fine...did Emily finish the addition?"

"She did." Peter nodded.

"Where's Spencer? I didn't see her car in the driveway."

"I don't know. I haven't seen her since Wednesday night." Peter said, indifferently.

"What do you mean you don't know where our daughter is?" Veronica stared across the room at her husband.

"I caught she and Emily together after I specifically told Emily she was not to see Spencer again. Spencer took off and hasn't been home since."

"You just let her leave?" Veronica said, angrily. "How do you just let her go and not even try to stop her. I can't even leave you alone for three days with our daughter..."

"I assume she's probably with Emily."

"She better be, for your sake." Veronica said as she pulled her phone out of her pocket and searched for Emily's number.

"What did I tell you?" Veronica said. "If you fight this, it'll just push Spencer closer to Emily and further away from us."

Veronica turned and left the room as she dialed Emily's number. After a few rings, Emily picked up.

"Hello?" Emily said.

"Hi, Emily, this is Veronica Hastings...is Spencer with you?"

"Yes. She's right here."

"Thank God. Has she been staying with you?"

"She slept here the last two nights, I hope that's okay. I'm sorry, when she showed up she was really upset and she asked if she could stay with me...I couldn't say no...she went to school and everything..." Emily rambled.

"It's okay, sweetheart. I'm just glad Spencer's safe, that's all. Could you please send her home?"

"Yes, ma'am. Of course."

"Thank you. And thank you for looking out for Spencer. I appreciate it."

"Spence. Your mom wants you home." Emily said as she slipped her phone back into her pocket.

"I don't want to go. I like being here with you better." Spencer stood up from the couch and wrapped her arms tightly around her girlfriend.

"You have to go. Your mom wants you." Emily leaned down and placed a kiss on the top of Spencer's head.

"Okay." Spencer sighed. "Don't forget my dress fitting is at ten tomorrow. We should probably leave Rosewood around nine."

"I'll come pick you and your sister up tomorrow morning."

"Thank you." Spencer reached up and kissed Emily. "See you then. Love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

When Spencer got home, she walked in the front door, where her mother and father were in the kitchen.

"Hi, honey." Veronica said. "I'm glad you're home."

Peter didn't say a word.

"I wish I could say the same thing." Spencer said.

"We need to talk about this. I don't want to have World War Three in my house every time the two of you are in the same room."

"We wouldn't have a problem if dad could just accept that I'm in love with Emily."

"You're eighteen years old, Spencer. You're not in love with anyone." Peter said.

"You don't know how I feel." Spencer defensively crossed her arms over her chest.

"Emily is a grown adult, you are a child." Peter said.

"No, I'm not. I'm eighteen. I'm not a little kid anymore, stop treating me like one. Emily and I aren't doing anything wrong."

"If you didn't think you were doing something wrong, you wouldn't have felt the need to lie about it." Peter said.

"So if I had been up front and told you I wanted to date Emily, you would have been fine with it?"

"Absolutely not."

"See there's no arguing with you. You're going to be completely unfair no matter what."

"You need to find someone better suited to you."

"Better suited to me or better suited to you? Just because you don't think Emily's good enough, doesn't mean she isn't. She's amazing and I love her. Emily's shown me a lot more love and compassion in the few months I've known her, than you ever have. When ever I'd talk to her while she worked, she always listened to me. She pays attention to me. She never once made me feel like a burden to her. Every time I try to talk to you, you make me feel like I'm bothering you. I already told you to get over it, she's not going anywhere."

Spencer then turned and walked up the stairs to her room.

"How can you say Emily isn't good enough?" Veronica looked at her husband.

"I never said that." Peter shrugged.

"But it's pretty clear that's what you meant. Are you trying to make Spencer hate you? She's happy with Emily and Emily treats her well, as Spencer's father, how your daughter is being treated in her relationship is what should matter the most to you."

"I'm done with this. I don't even know why I bother trying to be a parent, you just let Spencer do what ever the hell she wants anyway." Peter shook his head and walked out of the room.

* * *

Later that evening, Spencer walked outside to the barn. She walked inside and knocked on Melissa's bedroom door.

"Come in." Melissa called out.

Spencer opened the door and stepped inside, where Melissa was sitting on the bed looking at her iPad.

"Hey. Are you busy?" Spencer asked.

"Not really. Did you need something?"

"Have you talked to dad since you got home?"

"No. He wasn't home when I got here. Neither was mom. Why?'

"Dad found out about Emily and I."

"What? How?"

"I was stupid and accidentally left my phone on the coffee table. He saw a couple of pictures of us together. Now he's mad and everything's a mess."

"Aw, Spence…I'm really sorry. Come sit down here." Melissa set her iPad down on the night stand and patted the spot on the bed, beside her. "Why didn't you call me?"

"I didn't want to bother you on your trip…dad and I fight pretty much every time we see each other…I didn't even stay here these last two nights, I stayed with Emily."

"Does dad know?"

"Yeah. I said I wasn't staying with him, so I said I'd sleep at Emily's and I left."

"I bet dad loved that." Melissa said, sarcastically.

"I don't even care, I love Emily it doesn't matter what dad thinks."

"Exactly. Dad will get over it. Give him some time to cool down, he'll see how much you care about Emily. We'll just have to figure out a way to get them to spend some time together. It'll be okay."

* * *

The next morning, Emily arrived at the Hastings' house to find Spencer and Melissa walking out of the barn.

"You two ready?" Emily put her window down as Spencer and Melissa approached the car. "I'll drive."

"You don't mind?" Spencer said.

"Not at all. Get in."

When Spencer got into the car, she leaned over and gave Emily a quick kiss on the lips.

"How are you doing this morning, Melissa?" Emily asked, turning around to look at her girlfriend's older sister.

"Pretty good, thanks. How about you?"

"Not bad."

Before leaving Rosewood, Emily pulled into the nearest gas station and filled up her tank.

"I'm gonna run in and get a coffee." Emily said opening the driver's side door. "Can I get you two anything?"

"Coffee would be great." Melissa said.

"How do you take it?" Emily asked.

"One cream, two sugars, please. Here, I'll get you some money."

"No, don't worry about it, I got it." Emily gave Melissa a friendly smile. "You want some coffee too, Spence?"

"Yeah. I'll come in with you."

Melissa watched as Spencer reached down to hold Emily's hand as they began walking toward the building, though it was only a short distance from the car to the door.

When they arrived in Philadelphia, Emily parked her car in the bridal shop's parking lot. Emily, Spencer and Melissa all got out of the car and walked toward the door. Emily opened the door and waited for both Melissa and Spencer to walk inside first.

"Hi, there." A middle aged, brunette woman said, approaching the threesome. "May I help you?"

"Yes. I have a fitting for my wedding dress. My sister also has an appointment to be fitted for her bridesmaid dress."

"Great. What's your last name?"

"Hastings."

"Okay. I'll go check to see if the seamstress is ready for you yet. I'll be right back."

"Thank you." Melissa said.

A few moments later, the same woman returned.

"You can follow me back to the fitting room." The woman said. "The seamstress has both of your dresses ready for you."

When they walked into the large fitting room, Emily sat down in one of the chairs as the seamstress handed one large white box to Melissa and another one to Spencer.

"I promise this won't take long." Spencer said, walking over to Emily.

"Take your time. It's cool." Emily smiled.

Melissa and Spencer then both took their boxes and stepped into adjacent partitions which were concealed by long white, pleated curtains.

After a few minutes, Spencer pulled back her curtain and stepped out of the dressing room.

"All right, let's take a look at you." The seamstress said, walking around Spencer.

Emily looked up at Spencer, the light blue dress, was one-shouldered with a white bow around the waistline. The dress hit right at the brunette's knees.

"I think we just need to hem this up a bit." The seamstress said as she placed a few pins into the dress, near Spencer's knees.

"How does the dress look?" Spencer asked.

"I think it looks great on you." The seamstress said. "Wouldn't you agree?" She glanced over at Emily.

"It looks amazing." Emily stood up and walked over to Spencer. "Your sister has the most beautiful maid of honor I've ever seen."

"Thanks, Em." Spencer said as a smile spread across her face.

A moment later, Melissa stepped out from behind her curtain. Melissa's gown was white and strapless. It was low cut in the back, while still remaining very tasteful. The gown was form fitting through Melissa's midsection and hips, flaring out slightly from her thighs to the floor. The dress was ruffled near the bottom and adorned all over with delicate lace and intricate beading.

"That dress definitely fits you even better than it did the first fitting." The seamstress said.

"I lost five pounds since my first fitting." Melissa said.

"It's perfect." The seamstress said. "Let's see how it looks with the veil. I'll go get the heels you picked out too."

"Thank you." Melissa said.

"Do you like your dress, Spence?" Melissa asked.

"Yeah. I actually think it's really pretty. Thanks for not picking out ugly bridesmaid dresses."

"I'd never pick something that I wouldn't wear myself. What do you think, Emily? How do we look?"

"You both look absolutely beautiful. I'm pretty sure your fiancé and I are two of the luckiest people in the world. He gets the gorgeous bride, I get the gorgeous maid of honor. What more could anyone possibly want?"

* * *

"Okay. I think we're about done here." The seamstress said, once she was sure that both Melissa and Spencer's outfits were prefect. "I'll leave you two to get changed, you can go ahead and leave the dresses on the hangers. I'll take care of them."

The seamstress then disappeared from the room and headed toward the front of the store.

"I'm gonna change and go use the restroom before we leave." Spencer said, walking back into the dressing room.

"Okay." Emily nodded as she sat back down. "I'll be here."

Once Spencer had changed back into her regular clothes, she handed Emily her bag.

"Will you hold this?" Spencer asked.

"It doesn't really go with my shoes, but yes, I will." Emily laughed.

"Thanks." Spencer laughed too as leaned down to give Emily a quick peck on the lips.

Spencer then disappeared toward the restrooms. Melissa though, had yet to move from in front of the floor length mirror, as she was too focused on staring at her dress. After another moment, Melissa glanced over at Emily, who was staring off into space.

"Emily, would you mind unzipping me, please?" Melissa asked.

"Oh, sure, no problem." Emily stood up and walked over to Melissa.

Emily gently pulled the zipper down Melissa's back, being very careful with the material. Emily assumed the dress probably cost more than her whole year's salary.

"You okay?" Melissa asked, noticing that Emily seemed a little distracted.

"I'm fine. I've just kind of got a lot on my mind. That's all."

"Thinking a lot about my sister and my father?" Melissa asked, placing a hand on Emily's shoulder for balance as she removed one of her heels.

"Yeah. I mean...I don't want your dad to hate me. I do care about his opinion, but I can't stop seeing Spencer…"

"Don't worry." Melissa leaned on Emily again as she took off her other shoe. "He just has to go through his stupid, macho 'I'm the father, fear me' stage. He's done it with all of my boyfriends. It's a man thing, it won't last forever."

"I hope you're right." Emily bent down, picked up Melissa's heels and handed them to her. "I tried talking to him, but he doesn't want anything to do with me...are you sure I should even go to your wedding? I don't want to start any drama with your family…"

"It's not my dad's wedding to decide who comes. You're coming. I invited you and Spencer needs a date, you wouldn't bail on her, would you?"

"No, of course not."

"Good. You've got plenty of time to win my dad over before the wedding. It's not worth stressing about. So…what do you say we head over to the mall and find you something to wear? Saks is having a huge sale on some really nice Armani suits."

"Sounds good." Emily smiled.

* * *

"Do you like this one?" Spencer pulled a black suit off of the rack and held up to Emily.

"Sure." Emily said. "But I think the pants might be a little short. Do they have one in tall?"

"I'll look."

"You know, I guess I never realized how tall you are." Melissa said. "How do you find pants that fit you?"

"Not easily." Emily said. "Jeans I can usually find, but dress pants are a little tricky...they're usually either too short and baggy or way too tight. It's a curse being six one and actually having an ass."

Spencer and Melissa both laughed.

"We can always get something tailored, if we need to." Melissa said.

"Finding you pants might be a nightmare, but I wouldn't change you for anything." Spencer said.

"Thanks, Spence." Emily smiled.

"What do you think about this one?" Spencer showed her girlfriend a navy blue two button suit.

"I don't like it. It reminds me too much of the suit Steph picked out for me to wear to our wedding." Emily said.

"Okay. Definitely scrap that one then." Spencer put the hanger back on the rack.

"Emily, I hope you don't mind me asking, but are you divorced?" Melissa asked.

"No. I was engaged at one point, but the wedding never happened. I got dumped. It's a long, boring story." Emily said, casually as she continued browsing through the rack of clothing in front of her.

"Well…I like this one." Melissa held up a gray, three button, pin striped suit, effectively changing the subject.

"I like that one too." Spencer said, taking the garment from her sister. "Try both of these on."

"Let's see if we can find you a shirt to go with Spencer's dress." Melissa stepped over to a rack full of different colored button down shirts.

"Here." Melissa pulled out a sky blue shirt and handed it to Emily. "Hold this for a second."

Melissa then opened her purse and pulled out a fabric sample of her bridesmaid dresses. She held it up to the shirt in Emily's hand.

"It matches perfectly." Melissa said. "Why don't you go try this stuff on."

"Okay."

Emily walked toward the fitting rooms with Spencer and Melissa following behind her.

After a few minutes, Emily stepped out of the fitting room in the black suit that Spencer had picked out.

"Do you guys like this one?" Emily asked.

"Oh my God, you look so adorable." Spencer said.

Spencer walked over to Emily and buttoned the jacket at her abdomen.

"What do you think, Melissa?" Spencer asked.

"I like it. You look great."

"Thanks."

"Now…go try on the gray one." Spencer said. "We'll see which one we like better."

Emily then walked back into the dressing room and returned a few minutes later in the charcoal gray, pin striped suit, with the same light blue shirt.

"I think I like this one even better." Melissa said.

"Me too." Spencer agreed. "Turn around, Em."

"How's the jacket feel?" Melissa asked. "Does it have enough give across your shoulders?"

"Yeah. It feels pretty good, actually."

"Do you have enough room in the pants?" Spencer asked.

"Yeah. Surprisingly, they're fine."

"Are you just saying that to get out of playing any more dress up?" Spencer asked.

"No. I swear. They fit really well."

"Good. Because your butt looks great." Spencer smirked, eyeing Emily up and down. "You can wear your nice, black leather oxfords too. You'll look amazing, right, Melissa?" Spencer glanced over at her sister.

"Definitely. You'll look really cute and totally classy."

"I guess this one it is then." Emily said as she glanced at her reflection in the mirror.

"I'm so going to have the hottest date at the wedding." Spencer said, linking her arm with Emily's as she looked into the mirror at their reflections.


End file.
